Unwriting the Past
by StrangerEmotion
Summary: A young Severus Snape exchanges minds with his older counterpart in what seems like a freak potions accident. But when the past starts changing around them all, can anyone ignore the strong possibility that this twist of fate was someone's design?
1. Chapter 1

**Unwriting the Past**

**Or Help, my future self is wrecking time as we know it**

* * *

**Here's a little plot bunny who wouldn't stop chewing on my ankles until I published it. I'm gonna name it Lil Sev and love it forever and ever. For those of you worried about The Royal House, don't be. I have a fair bit more of that written as well. Just need to mind a natural stopping place for the next chapter. Anyway, without further ado, here's a little story from Severus Snape's POV.**

* * *

Severus Snape had never felt so vulnerable in his life. He hung, upside down, while his cheap, fading grey underwear was on display for everyone to see. And then she appeared. He saw the flames of her hair whip around in stolen fury as she berated Potter yet again for humiliating him. Didn't she see? Didn't she know this entire affair was orchestrated with her in mind? He wanted to lash out. He wanted to finally make her see. But just as he was about to open his mouth, he felt a strange numbness overtake his body. He couldn't move it at all, and then he became aware that his vision was fading. Briefly, he wondered if Potter had just decided to kill him and be done with it finally.

It was only a brief thought because the next thing he saw was the darkened potions classroom with various faces staring up at him that he did not recognize. Who were these people? They looked to be in his year, Gryffindors and Slytherins, but he didn't recognize a single one of them. One of them looked like a younger brother of Lucius Malfoy. Another looked like a green eyed Potter. Just what the hell was going on?

A girl with a riotous collection of brown curls and warm honey colored eyes spoke with some concern, "Professor Snape? Are you alright? I tried to stop Neville's potion from hitting you. Please say something, sir."

He hid his shock at learning he was a Professor to these people. That could only mean one thing, he'd traveled to the future somehow, obviously into his older self's body. But she did seem legitimately concerned about him, and that was more shocking in fact.

"I hardly think I should need your assistance, you insufferable chit of a girl." He retaliated, still mad about Lily's so called defense of him.

Her eyes dimmed a little, and he regretted his harshness. Sure, she is a Gryffindor, but so is Lily. Or was. He couldn't be sure exactly when he was. "I'm sorry for presupposing that you did, sir. It won't happen again."

Feeling strangely regretful, he moved past the incident quickly. "Well? What are you all waiting for? A written invitation? Get back to work!"

He moved around back to his desk, and surreptitiously checked his appearance in a conjured mirror. The reflection staring back at him was at least twenty year older… if not more considering it's haggard appearance. He examined the stack of papers before him, essays liberally marked with red in his own spiky handwriting. He read a few comments and realised he was one of those Professors. It was not entirely unexpected.

Looking over one Miss Granger's essay, he couldn't see why his older self had marked her so harshly. Sure, she didn't seem like she was taking any leaps of logic and was instead playing it very safe and by the book. And she also seemed to need to write as small as she possibly could to fit more unnecessary references in. But her research on the topic was solid, at the very least. "Miss Granger. I need to speak with you after class." He hissed out, imitating what he thought his older self would most likely say.

He was unsurprised when it was the same girl from earlier. His leap of faith had paid off.

She nodded, and wisely chose not to ask what for. Not that the people sitting near her were quite as wise.

His eyes narrowed as he looked at the Potter look-a-like who was currently fuming at him for daring to assert Professorial authority. He smirked, "Have something to say in her defense? Please do humor me. I'm sure Miss Granger simply can't defend herself against a simple student-teacher meeting."

The red haired buffoon sitting next to Potter junior bristled. "Hermione is bloody brilliant. It's you we don't trust."

He chuckled, "And now we see foolish Gryffindor sentimentality at it's finest. The both of you. Detention. Tonight." He bit out the final words with a sort of glee he'd never felt before. "One more word out of either of you this class and I will personally take every point Gryffindor has won so far."

He felt he mimicked himself rather well when every Gryffindor in the room blanched. The Slytherins were looking at him in awe. So far, so good. If no one realised who he really was, or when he was from, the better off he would be.

He turned back to the papers on his desk, a few were still left unmarked. One caught his eye that was completely blank, except for that red ink. He picked it up casually and narrowed his eyes at it.

_**Remain Calm.**_

_**If you are reading this, no doubt you have already been privy to Miss Granger's overeagerness with regards to the potions "accident". You have also successfully regained control of the potions classroom, as I knew you'd be able to, and now I should like to talk to you... One Half-Blood Prince to another.**_

_**First of all, the year is 1996., ihe school year is nearly over as it's already May. However, instead of spending insufferable months with our parents, you will be living at Spinner's End with only the company of the worst of the Marauders. No, not Potter or Black, but Pettigrew. He is the worst because he betrayed Lily Evans and led to her demise.**_

_**And that brings us around to why I have switched bodies with you. I have invented a spell that lets me change bodies with a younger version of myself. Thereby also flouting the Grandfather paradox. I know, I know… We are brilliant. There will be time for self aggrandizing later, for now I have a mission for you.**_

_**Tell no one of my plans and Lily may yet live. I cannot hope that she will live while also choosing me over Potter, that is a vain hope. But I can see to her survival.**_

_**Of course, that necessitates a change in how we shall win against the Dark Lord. It may not be possible to do both. I have hope that that is not the case.**_

_**Now, each second I am in your body will correspond to a second you are in mine. So, do your best not to reveal yourself over the coming months as I enact my plan. I suspect you have already begun measures to do just that. I will trust your instincts in this matter.**_

_**One more thing, the body you are inheriting is marked as a Death Eater, but is really a spy for Dumbledore, and knows advanced Occlumency if you can just trigger it.**_

_**Remember Lily's eyes.**_

_**The rest of this year and the next's lessons plans are sorted in our private chambers. You won't remember where they are so I have included a map to them as well as the steps needed to take down the wards. After memorizing both, destroy them.**_

Severus picked up the map first, it showed the path from his current location to his new private quarters. He recognized where it was immediately. He often hid near there when he wanted to avoid the Marauders. Down that corridor was an invisible door in the cobblestone wall that led into a small nook of a room. As far as he knew, the Marauders had no knowledge of the nook. Unless, of course, Lily had betrayed the location to precious Potter.

He burned the map in his hand with nonverbal magic, causing several students to screech their chairs away from him. He smirked, looking up from the flames to see which students were still working. Only one was continuing to focus on her potion. His black eyes narrowed at the class. The Slytherins were the first to get back to work. That suggested he had the loyalty of most of them. Was he Slytherin Head of House?

Slughorn must be retired, or dead, he wasn't exactly a young wizard by any means. Sinistra must have declined the Head of House position. He wondered who else was on the faculty still, and what new faces there were.

He spent the rest of the period studying the instructions for taking down and resetting his wards. At the end of the period he went around, cauldron to cauldron, and Evanescoed the truly bad potions while wandlessly taking samples of the ones Acceptable and above. He briefly paused at Miss Granger's cauldron, and a small smile curled on his lips. "Next time try using a gold strainer of the essence of eel," He whispered as he bent over to inspect her potion, "Platinum would be preferable but the prices on gold are far more favourable."

Louder, for the rest of the class to hear, he spoke, "Mediocre, Miss Granger."

Malfoy Junior snickered. Severus refrained from rolling his eyes, the boy was far too transparent to be a proper Slytherin. Must be the mother's influence.

Miss Granger brought her eyes up to his in defiance. "Thank you for your input, sir."

He nodded slightly in approval before moving through the rest of the students. He had gotten more than a sample from hers.

"Hermione's potion is not mediocre." He heard someone mumble. His head swiveled to glare at who had spoken.

"Harry, don't." Miss Granger warned her friend. A wise idea, if a trifle late.

"So, the Great Harry Potter has a mastery in Potions now, does he?" Severus taunted. "When did you find the time?"

"You know I don't. But that's not the point." Potter ground out between gritted teeth.

Severus smirked, "I think we are all eagerly waiting for you to define this so called point. Again you fail to realise the method in which I conduct my teaching is entirely up to me, Potter."

"Yeah? Well you don't have to be a bloody arse about it."

Severus smile widened like a shark, there was blood in the water. "I think that makes it a weeks worth of detentions. Wouldn't you agree, Miss Granger?"

She nodded imperceptibly and both of the boys groaned.

"As I thought. Class dismissed with the exception of Miss Granger."

Everyone filed out in a blink of an eye, not wanting to occur more of his wrath. He let her stand there for a few minutes without saying anything. She just examined the jars on the back wall with disinterest. After a few more minutes of tense waiting, he spoke, "You could be great, you know. I know this must be a shock to hear me say this… but what can I say? I'm not feeling much like myself today. You have the talent at research but you stop before you can take the next step. Tell me, have you ever tried to deviate at all from the established procedure? Have you ever tried to create your own spell?"

She stood shock still. "It's only because I very much doubt you could be Imperiused or a Polyjuiced imposter that I say this… Would it have made any difference? You can't show me the slightest bit of favor in front of the Slytherins."

Something about that didn't sit well with him, why shouldn't he be able to… unless she was a Muggleborn. Then it made perfect sense. "Be that as it may, it should make a difference to you. Not whether or not you may receive admiration for it. The mind is not merely a storehouse for information. It gives rise to the spark of invention. Perhaps I misjudged your propensity in that arena."

She stepped forward, closer to his desk. "I figured out your logic puzzle in first year. Which is when I knew it wasn't you after the stone. If you were after it, you wouldn't be so dumb as to leave any left. Yours was also the last test, that must have meant something. Not only does the Headmaster trust you, out of all the teachers he trusted you the most. It's not my propensity that is the problem. I've tried so hard to impress you. I tried in so many ways to give you your due respect. But I've received no indication until now that you even recognized my effort. I'm only human, Professor Snape."

He wasn't really gleaning much with this tack, so he switched subjects. "If I do so secretly, even that could be dangerous for my position. Unless you have learned Occlumency."

She sighed, "I know Harry was a huge prat for invading your privacy like that, but I wish you would reconsider teaching him Occlumency. He's not going to be able to defend himself against the connection in his mind without you. I've tried reading up on it, but all the books say it's best to practice with an experienced Legilimens whom you can trust."

"Then he really should be learning from the Headmaster, shouldn't he?"

"It's too bad the Headmaster isn't here to teach him. I fear it may be too late." She spoke quietly, while staring at the wood grain of his desk.

"Who did you learn from, sir?" She asked.

He didn't really know the answer to that. "That, Miss Granger, isn't for you to know."

She nodded in acceptance. "I think this is the most we have ever spoken. I just remembered, aren't you breaking Educational Decree Number Twenty-Six?"

He raised his eyebrow at the question to cover up his confusion. "That is of no importance to me, Miss Granger."

She smiled shyly, "I didn't think it would be considering how you last spoke to the so called High Inquisitor. Oh wait, she's 'Headmistress' now."

How could he get the name of this woman off of her without revealing he didn't know her? "Indeed."

"She's evil." Miss Granger declared. "I'm not just saying that. I really do think she is evil. Not surprising though, considering she was hired for DADA. Who in their right mind wears that much pink, honestly?"

Severus raised his eyebrow.

Miss Granger became flustered. "Sorry for taking up so much of your time, Professor. I just never realized-"

"That I'm human too?" He spoke, parroting back her earlier words.

She nodded, solemn for a moment. "I'll take your advice to heart."

She left the classroom quietly after that. He remained for a few moments before he decided to practice his wards. He cleaned up after the last class, gathered his things, and left while warding the classroom behind him. The halls were empty, due to it being either lunch or dinner in the Great Hall, he figured. He expected that would be over soon, and they would be rushing to their next class or to their Common Rooms. He noticed that he had grown a bit taller in those twenty years, by the way his gait seemed to move him that much further down the halls. His first task was figuring out what time of day it was. If only his older self had thought to tell him that very pertinent bit of information. The man figured out time travel that could actually change the future, but he couldn't figure out that his younger self might like to know what time of day he had found himself in.

He loped up the stairs, the ridiculous cloak flapping behind him. And spied the student body pouring out of the Great Hall in droves. He hid in a shadowy alcove by force of habit. His eyes easily spotted the Granger girl's bushy head immersed in a book as her two friends talked animatedly over her head. They were some of the last to make it out of the Great Hall.

He saw her lips mumble something to the two boys before she made a beeline towards him. Only it wasn't him at all, she was going right past him and towards the Library, he suspected. "Miss Granger." He whispered.

She stopped for a moment, looking like she was still intently reading her book. She didn't say a word back to him, but he knew she was listening.

"It's as I thought. You weren't reading at all. Your deception is almost worthy of a Slytherin." He slowly intoned as the hallway cleared out to only the two of them.

"I'm glad that it was only 'almost' worthy, sir." She spoke behind the text, still not turning to look at him, should anyone be watching.

He hid deeper into the shadows as he tried to suppress a smile. "Off to the Library little lion. Before something nasty comes along."

She started moving again without saying anything in return. A part of him was disappointed, she was an interesting girl…

**Meanwhile, in the past**

Severus opened his eyes to the exact moment he expected to see. The moment it had all gone down hill. Not that there really was an uphill in his life. Those thoughts were immaterial though, as soon as he laid eyes on her. His heart clenched painfully. She was real, no longer an overused memory of a happier time.

First thing first, to get himself out of this mess. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the counter jinx. He knew it would work even without his wand, which he still had. He silently cast the spell and watched with satisfaction as Potter was blasted out of his pants, skidding across the grass.

He fell gracelessly back down onto the grass, but managed to get his robes back down in the process. He picked himself up and left, not even bothering to taunt Potter. He knew all of Potter's tricks and had had twenty years to find a counter to every one of them. The fact of the matter was that the Marauder's were outclassed now. He really didn't want to have to concern himself with such rank amateurs anymore. Which was why he was walking directly to the Headmaster's office. His plan couldn't succeed without the knowledge the Headmaster surely possessed.

The halls were empty because everyone was celebrating outside. He rushed as quick as he could to the stone gargoyle and wasted no time rattling off a list of candies until one seemed to work. He bounded up the spiral stairs and knocked forcefully on the wooden door.

Or would have, if it hadn't opened mid swing. As a result he mostly stumbled into the Headmasters office as the man set across from him, looking very amused indeed. "Mr. Snape, shouldn't you be down on the grounds celebrating the end of your O.W.L.'s and the end of the school year? What brings you to my office in such a rush?"

Severus straightened up into his normal posture, the one he had perfected over the years to intimidate others. "The end of Voldemort, Headmaster."

"What foolish thing have you done, boy?" The Headmaster stood to his full height and descended upon Severus. But Severus was not to be intimidated anymore. "Severus Snape doesn't know Occlumency, who are you?"

Severus smirked. "Oh, but he does… now."

The Headmaster looked confused for a moment before turning to frightful clarity. "I'd have never thought it possible. The time turners make sure that time has a way of protecting itself… but what you have done completely supercedes such laws. Why have you done this? What could be so bad about the future that you would risk unraveling time to do it?"

Severus turned grim. He could tell the Headmaster the truth, but he doubted that would be enough to convince him of the rightness of Severus' actions. "We lose… the light side that is, in case you still perceive me to be destined for evil. A prophecy was made that pit a boy against the monster and 'neither can live whilst the other survives'. The boy… he dies. Voldemort wins. The only person I have ever cared about dies in the process. I'm forced to lie behind enemy lines and watch great atrocities take place. I thought of suicide, briefly, before I came up with this plan. It seemed a far better option."

"Let me see." Albus spoke with pain in his voice.

Severus shuddered, closing his eyes tight. "It's best if you don't. I'm not sure what effect that will cause on the timeline."

A knobbly hand was laid on his shoulder. "It was Miss Lily Evans, wasn't it?"

Severus choked back a sob, he wasn't faking his grief now. "She was in the way. I tried to persuade him to spare her. But, in the end, she would rather have died protecting her son than to live without him. I failed her. I cannot fail her this time, Headmaster. I just can't."

The hand gently squeezed his shoulder. "What do you plan to do?"

"You told me that you feared Voldemort had done something that split his soul, causing him to be immortal, so long as an object with that piece of soul was still around. I know he has done so at least twice. Once was a diary, Lucius Malfoy had it in my time. We destroyed it but he still lived. He must have more. I know not how many. Probably less during this time, if we can get to them. If we destroy the all and then kill him… Many lives will be saved." Severus opened his red rimmed eyes, he didn't exactly cry prettily.

"Including Miss Evans'." Albus spoke.

Severus only nodded. "I will still have to take his Mark if I am to be successful. You need someone on the inside. I was always useful to you in that way. I can be again. This summer, I will have done it. There would be nothing left holding me back. Isolated and hurt, Voldemort will prey on that to lure me into his group."

Albus moved away from him and set back down in his wingback chair. "What do you need me to do?"

"Tell me everything you know about Horcruxes. And when you are done with that, get me Horace Slughorn. He knows how many Voldemort will try to make. It's in his memories, I can fix them for you. The real memories are still in his mind. And then we will piece out what he might have turned into a Horcrux, and make a plan to destroy them."

"You're very determined, Mr. Snape."

"I didn't come from the future to twiddle my thumbs, Headmaster."

"Very well, in the meantime, I suggest you enjoy the sun. We can better plan for the coming War tomorrow as it's a free day. What do you say to breakfast here in my office tomorrow, Mr. Snape?" The Headmaster smiled warmly at him. He wasn't sure if he should trust it, even if Severus had basically handed Dumbledore the keys to the kingdom.

"That sounds agreeable to me, Headmaster." Severus spoke, turning around to leave. "Good day, sir."

He was barely out of the Headmaster's office when he ran into Lily. She looked pissed, but she was still talking to him. Which meant something had already changed about the past. "What was that back there? Why'd you rush off without a word? What's with the secret meeting with the Headmaster? Are you telling on Potter?"

Severus rolled his eyes, spare him the thousand questions from Gryffindor women. "As if telling on Potter would do me any good, Lils. You know whose side he would take."

She looked mischievously at him, and his heart skipped a beat. "That counter jinx was wicked."

"I would never invent a spell I couldn't get myself out of." He smiled, lying to her face. Because he hadn't invented the counter jinx to that one until several years later. He wondered if it was wrong to still be attracted to her, even now that his mind was so much older than his body. He decided it didn't make much difference as she would never reciprocate. "Did you see if Potter got grass stains on his-"

"He did!" She peeled out in laughter. Her eyes were sparkling happily, he had missed her happiness more than he could say. Why had he ever tried to ruin it was beyond him. What a foolish young man he had been.

"Perfect."

But he was talking about her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Unwriting the Past**

**Chapter Two**

**Coming to terms with Entropy in a world with Magic**

He easily blended back into the Slytherin common room, it was exactly as he left it so many years ago. Of course, none of those years had passed yet. He had spent precious few minutes talking with Lily because he knew he would have to break off the friendship anyway. It would have to be soon, his 'friends' in Slytherin would have it no other way. It was for her protection, and his come to think of it, if Severus simply let the relationship die. And so he made his excuses to Lily soon after she had come upon him and rejoined the Slytherins in the Great Hall.

In a few days they would be leaving for summer break. Lucius would be introducing him to 'Lord' Voldemort, and his path would be firmly set. There was a selfish part of him aching to fly away, far away, and not return until all was safe again. But he knew he would no sooner flee now than kill Lily himself. Because that would be the result of his flight, make no mistake. So now, as he sat before the fire with Regulus sitting beside him on one side and Narcissa on the other, he thought of what he would have to do again to make sure Lily Evans wouldn't be slain.

With that thought in mind he knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was no less evil than any of the people who would choose to serve that madman. He smirked sardonically, coming to the conclusion that he would kill anyone so that Lily would live.

"Something amusing, Severus?" Cissy demurred, folding up a letter from her husband to be. She was actually somewhat pleased with the match, if you could hear her talk of it. She didn't love him by any means, wasn't truly capable of it, but his money and influence and her blood standing would make them quite the power couple.

Severus bit his lip slightly to contain his urge to start laughing maniacally and never stop. "Too many things."

"Don't be so secretive, Severus." Regulus whined slightly, he was only slightly more tolerable than his brother, but no less conceited. "I think we'd all like to know what made the perpetually pouting Severus Snape crack what looks to be the beginnings of a grin. Could it be you finally had the pleasure of the company of the fairer sex?"

Severus frowned, trying not to put on his Professor Snape persona and chastise the younger boy. "You are fourteen, Reg… I doubt you even know what you are on about."

Bella decided that was the moment she would chime in. "Moreso than you, I'd wager. Given how you hang desperately about that Mudblood who doesn't even fancy you."

Severus sighed, he'd forgotten how much Bella used to be jealous of Lily. "What do you want to hear, Bella? That I'm over her? That I only liked her for shallow, superficial reasons? That I much prefer someone of my own kind now… Is that it?"

Bella shrugged, pretending she had no interest at all. "What other reason could there be?"

Cissy interrupted our brewing argument, thankfully, with news of Lucius. "He has full control over his estate now that his father has passed."

"Murdered, you mean," Bella spoke with venom, "They murdered him."

Cissy nodded in agreement but wasn't as moved. "Yes… Needless to say, the wedding will still proceed as planned come this summer. Everything was finalized prior to his demise."

"You know that my part of the Black family will, of course, be in attendance." Regulus spoke formally. It was a put on, of course, as he had no more class than anyone else when the day was done. "Who else were you thinking to invite?"

Cissy smiled magnanimously, "You shall have to wait and see come the day. I have already sent out the invitations. They should arrive by owl tomorrow morning." She subtly looked at several people in the room as she said this, Severus among them. It was no surprise to him as he was to be there for Lucius, to help him tie the knot. The literal knot… the Blacks followed the old traditions and the Malfoys were only too happy to seem just as traditional in the eyes of their peers. "It is traditional that you come with a date."

So that's why she had been eyeing him strangely. Worried that he would deny them their perfect wedding. Or hers, at the very least, he knew for a fact that Lucius couldn't really be arsed, but was just putting up the proper front to not seem as such. Severus' face turned grim. "I suppose it's too much to ask that it be waived in my case. Given my unsuitability to most women, and likewise their unsuitability to me."

Regulus gave him a strange look, which Severus was in no state of mind to parse. Especially considering his mental age was so much greater than the impressionable young man. Reg opened his mouth to say something, but just as he had been the last time this infernal conversation had taken place, Bella interrupted. "I'll be your date. If you can't find anyone more suitable."

'So anyone else at all, then?' He thought with an inward snicker. 'Harry Bloody Potter in BDSM gear. Dumbledore in a pink tutu. Anyone not a total sociopath.'

He opened his mouth and said quite the opposite, however, as he knew Bella could be most useful if she liked you. "I'll give it due consideration. That you offer it to me is very generous." He spoke almost as he would in the future, it was quite the change from 'Snivellus'. In this time she was too naive to imagine his newfound confidence could mean anything but his decision to commit fully to 'the cause'. Bella's pale cheeks became warm and suffused with color. It was unfortunate that even Slytherins couldn't fully hide such tells. One would have to commit to a dangerous level of Occlumency to even try.

She turned away, flustered by him for the first time. It was a not unusual reaction to his use of his voice on certain women. He rarely enjoyed its benefits, however, as he saw it as superficial in nature.

Regulus looked a bit unhappy with the turn of events but he kept it to himself. The last time he had told Bella to bugger off as he was still pretty much a wreck after blowing things with Lily. Regulus had been pretty supportive of his decision not to go with anyone. Severus paid it little mind.

Cissy smiled happily at this, she'd love to have Bella with someone of his promise. Even with his half blood status, they all knew he was gifted in the Dark Arts. They respected that, if nothing else. "Lucius will be glad to hear that you won't be going stag."

Severus rather doubted Lucius gave a picked fig about Severus' dating habits, but it was expected to not acknowledge directly your own happiness with something. That was one of the aspects of being in this society he had the most trouble with, thankfully it rarely came up as he was so hard to please.

**Back in Summer, 1996**

There was something very strange about Professor Snape, and Hermione could not quite put her finger on it. There was the obvious candor in which he now spoke with her, when he could speak with her alone, but other than that he was exactly as he had been. Maybe even worse, if you could believe it. It seemed at times he was reeling from some unseen force. He would stop and just stare at something perplexed, as if reality had just changed around him. He would ask her the most strange things.

"Granger, did you notice that Miss Weasley isn't in awe of your friend Potter anymore?" He asked one time and she didn't have an answer to that because, as far as Hermione knew, Ginny had only briefly thought Harry was cute, when they were kids.

But those 'observations' of his were fairly few and far between. Or, at least, she thought so until they began becoming more frequent after they sojourned to the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. Hermione was excited to be included until she found out what they would be doing there. Sirius and his brother were the only ones in residence. His brother, Regulus as he had introduced himself, had briefly explained that he hadn't had the heart to get another elf after what happened to his last one. Kreacher had sacrificed himself for the cause, to save his masters from a worse fate. Mrs. Black could still be heard crying about it some nights.

One night, while she was reading alone in the Black family library, Professor Snape came in looking for all the world like a ship tossed at sea. He laughed strangely upon seeing her there. "It seems you're still here… Of course it's only a matter of time before he finds someway to fix that."

Hermione felt a tightness in her heart at his odd words. "Who is 'he'?"

Professor Snape laughed even harder, "Who is he? Who is he? Oh, Granger. The answers staring you in the face but is also a million miles away."

Hermione frowned, she hated when he became cryptic like this… it really made it difficult to decipher him. She endeavoured to make sense of it just the same. "I'm guessing you are speaking metaphorically as this 'he' can't be both in my face and a million miles away."

The Professor smirked a bit at her answer, which was equally as infuriating as his previous inscrutability was… probably more. Then his eyes took on the light from the fireplace as he simply looked at her. "You know… It's a relief to simply rest my eyes for a while and look on something as certain as you, Hermione Granger. You've no idea what it's been like since I first laid eyes on you. I'm supposed to find the light at the end of the tunnel and have that blurry shape resolve itself into the form of a long dead woman… but I can't deceive myself nearly as well as he has learned to do. It's of no matter… time is moving much faster than he thought… soon enough everything will have changed and you won't remember this conversation as you will have not been here to hear it."

Hermione felt her cheeks become wet at his words, but she couldn't figure out why.

"Just as you don't remember many of the last. Not completely… He's making you forget, not on purpose, but I never will." The Professor bent down to pick up her dropped book. Her fingers briefly touched his as he hand it over.

"What happened tonight, Professor?" Hermione asked.

Professor Snape shrugged, "Changes."

He left and she felt something of herself leave with him.

**Fall 1996**

Severus returned to Hogwarts after the very strange summer he had had in which reality seemed to want to curl in on itself and die while he was around the Dark Lord. Every day the monster became weaker and, ironically, more human. That didn't stop him from being a complete and total sociopath however.

In weirder news, Wormtail vanished. One day he was simpering for his Lord, and the next it became clear he was actually dead. Not just play dead. A few days after that he reappeared with a family that had never existed a moment before.

It was enough to give anyone a migraine. He often had to simply shut his eyes to resolve the tension headache he got from trying to keep everything straight in his mind. Of course, no one else was having a problem with this.. they only saw the reality of the moment as if it had always been like that… until it changed. Severus suspected he would be dealing with this for much of his life. If not for the rest of it entirely.

The day came when Lily Potter was alive, and had always been so according to everyone but himself. And he should have been happy. He was monitoring Platform 9 ¾, at the request of the Headmaster, and he saw her with a much older James, seeing off Harry Potter, their son. Severus strained his eyes and noticed the scar was absent as well. He spotted Miss Granger nearby, but she wasn't going to Potter's side like she always had. Were they not friends in this reality? That's when he noticed her blue and bronze tie and prefect badge. She was sorted into Ravenclaw? Severus felt a bit unmoored. Hermione Granger never changed… never. Not even when she forgot some things… But her completely forgetting her friendship with Potter, and being in Ravenclaw… that was what one might call a major fucking change.

As he was about to yell something, he didn't really know what but he felt the urge burbling up inside of him, Albus appeared at his side. "I think it's time we reconstitute your two halves. No man should have the burden you have, my boy, but it's a burden you chose."

"How can you say I chose this? I was ripped from my life. I'd always suspected you knew… but this confirms it." Severus gripped his wand tightly, just to have something to hold so he wouldn't punch the old wanker.

Albus shook his head sadly, as his phoenix appeared and whisked them away in a flash of light to the Headmaster's office. "Severus, this may come as a surprise to you, but this is your doing. You just haven't got the memories unlocked from your time in the past. That's why I waited until today. You told me to keep your older self locked away to prevent yourself from being able to stop what needed to occur. We won the War because of you. And all, I might add, without thrusting children onto the battlefield… the only price was a price you were willing to pay."

Severus glared at the conniving old bastard. "Not the only price… what of everyone that lived but a moment and died in the next all those countless people subsumed by the next version of themselves. They will never know what they lost."

Dumbledore didn't smile this time, as he looked at Severus sternly. "Nor will they."

Severus couldn't defend himself against Dumbledore's legilimency… it was so expertly done that he scarce had the time to blink before he remembered everything. His time in the past up till now in usual linear fashion. The flashes of many alternate realities he'd seen. The alpha timeline where so much suffering had occurred, where Lily had died. But not only was his younger mind coming to terms with the past that he had previously thought of as 'other', so too did the older mind have to reconcile his younger self. Particularly where it concerned Hermione Granger.

"Back with me, Severus?" Dumbledore asked gently.

Severus scoffed, "I'm all in one piece if that's what you're asking."

Dumbledore smiled widely for the first time in years. "If only I could give you my Order of Merlin, First Class."

"I didn't do this for recognition, as you well know, Albus." Severus grumbled.

Albus chuckled merrily, "Well, it's good to know saving the world won't give you a happier disposition. At least some things never change."

Severus laughed, knowing Albus wasn't quite right about that. It was a short laugh that didn't do much to prove otherwise. But it was enough to have the old sod offering him lemon drops for "that nasty cough". Severus declined, and went downstairs to await the carriages.

It took only a few minutes for them to appear, the skeletal horses contrasting with the gilded carriages. He was standing quietly next to Argus Filch, who was handling the luggage. There was a special room off the main castle than would send the trunks and cages on their way, to whatever house they were to be going to… whether the student was sorted formally yet or not. Strange that the Castle seemed almost aware of time in such a fashion… or maybe the Castle has the right idea and Witches and Wizards are strange for only seeing things linearly.

Nevertheless he watched for one recognizable mane in particular. She came out of nearly the last carriage… She was with her friends, Miss Lovegood, Miss Weasley, and Mister Malfoy. Miss Lovegood and Granger were discussing something animatedly that would probably result in the other two setting about to prove it couldn't work. It always did, of course, with her being the Brains of their Terrible Tetrad.

She smiled politely when she saw him. "Congratulations, sir. If I've heard correctly you've been hired for the DADA post. In my mind no one deserves it more."

Malfoy soon agreed with her, once he could stop arguing with Miss Weasley about Quidditch of all the daft things. Miss Lovegood looked up at the stars distractedly, not even bothering to acknowledge his presence.

Severus scowled. "Quite. Though I suspect you are under the delusion that I will be a less demanding teacher now that I have the position I have wanted for so long."

She maintained an innocent smile. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean, sir. I have a higher expectation of the demands that you will place on me, and the rest of the students."

Severus raised his eyebrow as they passed by him into the Hall. His heart hammering unnervingly after the brief second she brushed his hand in passing. He cursed himself for having such a ridiculous crush on the girl. He had hoped he would see her now that his minds were melded, and the feelings he had developed as a younger man trapped in his older body would diminish. But, he couldn't unsee how he had seen her when all his preconceived notions about her had been stripped bare.

She was the same as she'd always been. Intelligent, courageous, respectful of authority without becoming a slave to it. And completely inappropriate for him. Even with being of age legally in the Wizarding World. He was still her teacher… none of that made any difference to the feelings he had for her. But it was enough that he would never act on them. He was familiar with the process of letting someone go. After all, he'd done so for Lily. Just how hard could it be since she would never reciprocate?

The Sorting Feast let him have a chance to reconcile his fragmented memories and make sense of everything. He was able to store most of the conflicting ones in his mind under layers of occlumency. The Tetrad broke up into their respective houses. Malfoy went to Slytherin, but he kept looking over at Miss Weasley, who was at the Gryffindor table, throughout the feast. It was terribly unsubtle, not that the boy cared where Ginny Weasley was concerned. The two Ravenclaws, Hermione and Miss Lovegood, stuck together but were already engrossed in either books, or complicated rune work in the case of Miss Lovegood. Not that she was fully aware of what she was doodling.

Hermione, he noticed, had her Potions book out and was also scribbling on a piece of parchment beside her. She was deep in thought, he could tell by the way she was biting her lip.

A loud burst of sound startled them both as another child was sorted to raucous applause. It was Potter's kid sister. She was sorted into Slytherin. She grinned mischievously at her brother, the star of the Gryffindor quidditch team, as she took her place among the Slytherins. He clapped politely, exchanging a glance with the girl's mother who would be replacing him as the new Potions teacher. Lily smiled brightly, seeming no less proud of having a Slytherin daughter than a Gryffindor son. Severus had to wonder though, if Potter would be as happy when he found out.

Later, when Severus had a chance to talk with Lily during the feast, he was able to remember the girl's name. Dahlia.

"You will look after her in Slytherin, won't you Sev?" Lily asked, still insisting on using his nickname from when they were children. "I know we haven't been close since I married James. But I thought we could rekindle our friendship now that we are to be working closely. If it's alright with you, that is."

He nodded, though he had conflicting feelings where she was concerned, and he doubted they would resolve with more contact. "It won't be as it was in our time, Lily. I promise you."

She smiled, her eyes reflecting her true happiness. Maybe he had been rash to consider a friendship with her being impossible. Maybe he had let his feelings for her and against Potter cloud his judgement. After all, this entire altered reality was because of how he had still loved her. Why shouldn't he try to be friends again? What was keeping him from enjoying her company now that they were older? Nothing, as far as he could see.

* * *

His first day went well, even though Malfoy and Potter almost got in a fistfight because of his instruction to cast spells silently resulted in both of them being even more on edge than usual. It appeared Mister Potter also took offence at Mister Malfoy's interest in Miss Weasley. Due to Mister Potter developing feelings for her this year, he didn't approve of her friendship with Mister Malfoy. It was all too familiar for his tastes. Some things, no matter how you try to change them, have a history of repeating themselves. He much suspected Malfoy had a better chance against this Potter than he had against the other one. If Draco wasn't his godson he would have strangled him by now.

Lily showed up after the last classes with a bottle of something in her hand. She had a spring in her step as she barged in his new office. "You left quite a bit in the office you left me. This fine vintage being one of the tastier looking bottles."

He sat out his drinking glasses and did the honors, while she settled into a conjured seat that looked much comfier than his own. Before he had quite sat down she sprung a question on him he wasn't prepared for, causing him to stop moving entirely for a few seconds. "You're over me."

In truth, it wasn't a question but it had the same effect because he didn't know the answer until she spoke it from her lips. She kept going, "I see I startled you. You were always surprised when I'd say something so directly. I'd missed that about you. You never really explained why you suddenly cut off contact and immersed yourself in the Death Eaters. I was even more surprised when Albus came out to pardon you, and claimed you had been instrumental in taking down Voldemort-"

Severus flinched, a phantom pain shooting up his arm. The mark may have disappeared when its maker died, but the psychological toll would always linger. "Don't say that name. Call him, Riddle. The bloody bastard deserves to be remembered by the surname he hated."

"I misjudged you… Severus. I've wanted to apologize for years." Lily spoke candidly, dropping the nickname for something more adult.

Severus bit back his angry retort, settling for a resigned one. "I made sure you did. You've nothing to apologize for…"

"But, I was so easily fooled by the act," Lily cried out, "How could I call myself your oldest friend, and just as easily believe you capable of joining the Death Eaters to gain power?" She finished her glass already, he hadn't touched his.

A knock came on the door, he hadn't expected anyone to come during office hours on the first day. He whisked the alcohol away and called out in an annoyed tone of voice, "Enter."

Of course it was Granger. She had to have the worst timing in the world. "Professor Snape, I had a question about-" She stopped for a moment as she took in the other Professor sitting in the office looking a little out of breath and warm in the face. "Professor Potter, your lesson today was a nice change of pace."

"Thank you, Miss Granger," Lily answered warmly.

Severus growled, still quite upset by the interruption. "Your question, Miss Granger?"

"Of course, sir. I was wondering about the connection between wandless magic and silent casting… I was hoping you could tell me if I am completely off the mark that they share a commonality… the fact that both are quite possible when you are a child and you simply wish for things to happen. Could it be that teaching with a wand forces children to concentrate on not using their innate magic anymore? As Professor Dumbledore demonstrates one can do incredibly advanced magic silently and without a wand. Perhaps these foci are no longer necessary as you grow older and can control your impulses?"

Severus groaned in frustration. "Are any of these actually questions, or did you come down here to submit me to your rambling stream of consciousness?"

"Maybe she has a point, Severus." Lily spoke, not using his title in front of a student. Perhaps simply forgetting to do so. "Are you looking to explore wandless based magic? What do you suppose Potions is? Sure, you can light the fire under your cauldron without a wand… and it will work just fine… But a muggle or a squib wouldn't be able to get the same effect. Plus, wands weren't in use as a method of foci until fairly recently. There were staffs before, and older magic uses even less. The magic that built Hogwarts, for instance, was done with only the magic of the founders themselves. So many question how that could have been done during their time."

Hermione's eyes lit up as she and Lily launched into a discussion in the middle of his office. Paying no attention to the owner of said office as they became quite engrossed. At one point he interrupted to introduce a point neither had considered. "Dark magic often involves the kind of wandless, and wordless effect you are seeking. Much of it uses the users will and some other ritualistic elements to accomplish the goal. Perhaps the censure put on dark magic caused a loss of knowledge about how Hogwarts was built, because it was built with exactly that kind of magic."

Lily looked ready to argue that point with him but something sparked in Hermione's eyes. "That's it! Thank you both for your insights… especially that last one, Professor Snape."

Granger left quickly after that for what he could only presume was the library. Lily sulked after she was gone. "Just go ahead and steal all the glory with one offhand comment, when I did most of the legwork."

Severus merely smirked. "I'm sure I have no idea what you mean, Professor Potter. Helping students in any fashion should be thanks enough."

"You absolute arse, Severus Snape. I'm taking your liquor hostage. You'll have to come see me if you want to use it." Lily spoke as she rushed out of the office with her pilfered goods. Severus shook his head and laughed with almost a real smile on his face.


	3. Chapter 3

**Unwriting the Past**

**Chapter Three:**

**Ripple-Effect-Proof Memory can sometimes be a Bitch**

Severus found it mildly disorienting when he'd remember some detail about someone he was talking to that was different in this timeline. In a manner of speaking he had a thousand lifetimes crammed inside his head at a time. But mostly only two major ones, which made it less confusing, but not by much. Even stranger still were the things that didn't change from his meddling. For the most part, the faculty at Hogwarts were the same as they had been in the alpha timeline, with the exception of Lily being the Potions professor now that he had vacated the position. It was supposed to have been Slughorn, but the man hadn't needed to now that his star pupil took the job.

Truth be told Severus was never as good as Lily at Potions, and now that she had the benefit of having been alive for all those years… it was no contest. He had the infinite pleasure of picking her brain when they met for drinks and conversation after classes had finished for the day. She told him of the projects she had been working on while she took care of her children at home. (Potter had a job in the Auror Department, which made it much harder to work from home.) He neglected to tell her that he already knew about most of the ones she had completed due to keeping up with her work in the various Potions Journals. He wasn't able to do much research himself as he hadn't the capital to put towards the projects. Occasionally he would work on something for Lucius but it wasn't up to her standard. Particularly since he wasn't as in love with the art of Potion making as she seemed to be.

He was finding it easier to avoid thinking of the other Muggleborn woman that had claimed a part of him. As long as she wasn't around, he didn't hear about her from one of the faculty, or there wasn't something around that reminded him of her. The part of himself that was still that young man that had befriended her was very strong in his psyche. Perhaps because he had only recently merged both halves.

It was an odd sensation that would run through him when he saw her, almost like she was as split into parts as he was. He would remember his older disdain for the overeager child she had been. He could almost see her with her hand way up in the air and her face determined for recognition. Then he'd notice the hairstyle she wore that day was braided with little shells, likely something Miss Lovegood and Weasley had done, and he would remember her first year here in the new timeline… She had been an outcast, even from her fellow Ravenclaws. They only began to respect her once she took the top grandes in the entire school that year. He had sensed her isolation that year and, by the time Halloween rolled around and she still hadn't made friends with Potter and Weasley, Severus had given her a few private lessons. Just to make sure he hadn't created a Dark Lady in trying to rid the world of a Dark Lord.

Thankfully she had made friends with Draco Malfoy somehow during the end of that year, and later had made friends with the two younger girls the next. He still wondered exactly what had made the Malfoy heir befriend her. As far as he knew they didn't share any classes. Perhaps it was in influence from Lucius, once he had found out who had beaten his child for top student.

Dumbledore had been right that he had a burden no one else could share. Severus was surrounded by ghosts who would never return, only the shadows were left of their past lives. How could he begin to explain to Hermione that he had been her friend once? Or that Lily had been killed by a deranged man, which had driven him to switch sides and ultimately change history? Those weren't exactly easy conversation starters. Oh, by the by Lily, but you left your son an orphan in the timeline I come from… pass the bottle.

If he was being honest, he would admit that he wasn't the only one of them who had changed when they grew up. The very fact that Lily was in his office at the moment, talking to him happily, was proof of that. He thought he would never regain her trust and friendship.

The things he had done, that she knew about, should have scared her off for life. The acts he had committed to make the Dark Lord trust him with the secret of the Horcruxes. He had made Tom Riddle trust him so completely, that he would never expect Severus to stab him in the back. When he had been found out by Bella… and her look of shock as he broke the Horcrux entrusted to her. She had flown at him in rage and he- well, there was only one thing he could do.

If he closed his eyes long enough he could almost feel her nails slashing him across the face as she embedded a small dagger under his heart. He had laughed, his blood spurting out onto her face. "You missed."

"What was that?" Lily asked curiously.

His black eyes snapped to her green ones. "It's nothing... Just a bad memory... You were saying?"

"I think the Headmaster is planning some kind of dance this year… I volunteered to help Filius set up whatever he needed. He told me to ask you if you wanted to contribute anything to the decorations." Lily sighed when she was met with his bored expression. "I told him you'd have that response."

"You were right to do so," Severus responded, "He's almost worse than Albus when it comes to getting me to 'enjoy the spirit of the season'."

She shook her head in dismay. "I don't see why you couldn't try it once."

Severus raised his eyebrows and spoke, "Who says I haven't?"

"Now I know you must be lying." She laughed, taking a sip of her wine as she looked at him with sparkling eyes. "I know that face so don't try to fool me, Severus Snape."

He didn't bother trying to hide his smug grin. "Oh, do you? And what does this expression say?"

She tried valiantly to tamp down on her own smile, but was unsuccessful. "That you are going to bet me 100 galleons that you can have a good time at the dance- And not sneak off until I say so. If you fail either of those conditions the galleons go to me."

"Easily done." He purred, shaking her hand.

"You must say 'I accept the bet'." She reminded him, not giving him such an easy loophole.

His smirk didn't falter. "But of course, milady. I accept the bet."

"You will probably find some way to wriggle out of it anyway but I have hope that you will do it for me, if not the money." She spoke chiddingly.

They said their goodnights soon after that and Severus set about doing his late night patrol of the corridors. Being winter, it was much too cold for many of the little miscreants to be tucked into alcoves 'exploring their sexuality'. Except for the ones who were particularly skilled in warming charms of course. He swept the castle for the usual places, students were creatures of habit of course, and found a few ravenclaw boys, a slytherin girl, and two gryffindor girls. He sent them back to their common rooms with a little less house points to their houses. If he took less off the Slytherin girl and more from the others, it was his prerogative.

It was nearing midnight when he felt a chill breeze in the halls that could only come from someone opening the main doors. He made his way quickly to them and, just as he thought, someone had opened the doors and gone out onto the grounds. There was snow blown in from the outside. He paid it not a second thought and left the castle himself after disillusioning himself. Once outside he found the footsteps easy to track, they were smaller than his and probably from a girls shoes. He stepped behind her, so that if she looked back she wouldn't see another set of footsteps forming behind her. He followed them up to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, the steps became harder to track from that point due to the lack of snow. He kept his eyes open to catch the slightest movement within the forest itself as he followed the small signs of travel he could find in the forest floor. A broken stick here, a partial imprint there, the clearing of vines from his quarries face.

He got further into the forest when something strange happened to the set of prints. They became that of a doe. Then he heard something that made his blood run cold, a werewolf's howl. He looked up through the gap in the trees and saw the full moon shining down on him innocently. His breath stilled in his chest, but his heart beat faster still. "Lupin?"

He had forgotten that Lupin would still use this forest to transform. He had forgotten to look at the moon to check its phase. He hadn't had to worry about Lupin's lycanthropy since the duty had been Lily's to make Wolfsbane for him in this timeline. He thought back unhelpfully to the night Lupin had forgotten to take it in the alpha timeline. He must have remembered this time, Severus tried to reassure himself. He wasn't scared of the werewolf, he was scared of what he might do should he need to defend himself. Already he could feel the dark rising within him, it was salivating for a proper meal. It whispered to him seductively that he wouldn't be blamed, if it was self defence they would all understand. He recognized it for the lies it would tell him to fall back in that darkness he had become to fool the Dark Lord.

The darkness he had always had an affinity for, from the moment he had first learned he could do magic. Because the Dark Lord had been wrong to trust Severus when he was giving in to that ancient urge… An unshackled Severus was far more dangerous to one who was held back for fear of not being able to crawl himself back out.

He stepped back, into the shadow of a tree, when he saw the form of a large canine. But he soon recognized it as the Animagus form of Sirius Black. The black dog sniffed the air, and turned it's huge head to stare at him in recognition. It shifted into Sirius Black before his eyes as he came to join Severus under the shadow of the tree.

"Strange night for a stroll, Snape." Sirius taunted.

Severus felt the darkness inside start to spark along his fingertips, which drew the other mans eyes down to it. "Ease up. I'm not your enemy."

Severus growled, and dropped to the floor. His paws digging into the soil. He looked up at the human man who was beginning to annoy him. But just as quickly, the man also shifted into a dog. He took a swipe at the dog and hissed when it wouldn't get out of his space. The dog was knocked over easily, and soon left him alone after barking quite a bit.

Severus quite enjoyed being in this form, he moved smoothly and quickly over the terrain. Soon he spotted the very red doe running with a darker stag and the Werewolf quite near them. She seemed safe, so he turned around and left the forest… not wanting to be around the marauders anymore than necessary.

The dance arrived sooner than he thought it would. He was chaperoning that night as requested. Lily was there with her husband, by special permission of the Headmaster. Harry Potter looked like he couldn't decide whether he was happy to have them both there, or embarrassed at the way they were dancing.

Severus turned his eyes away from the spectacle as well, only for them to meet those of Miss Granger. She was laughing at Draco Malfoy, who looked to be trying to work up his nerves to ask Ginny Weasley to dance. Her smile faltered slightly as she her breath hitched upon catching his eye. He wasn't sure what to make of that reaction. Probably worried he'd come over there and take points off for having fun.

He made his way over there anyway, his feet betraying him in that instance. By the time he made it through the crowd he made the excuse of needing to speak with his godson. It was a cop-out, he knew, but it was better than doing anything else he could think of at the moment when she was looking as beautiful as she was tonight. "Draco," He intoned, only briefly looking at Miss Granger to make sure she would be fine on her own.

Draco followed in over to a quieter area away from the main party. "Yes, sir?"

Severus sighed. "I shouldn't have to have this conversation with you. But in lieu of your father being here, I must. What in merlin's name are you thinking?"

Draco looked startled, and betrayed himself but looking out over the dance floor at Miss Weasley, who was dancing with some Ravenclaw seventh year that Severus didn't bother to remember the name of in that moment. His head jerked back to look at Severus when he realized what he had been caught doing. "Nothing." He spoke quickly.

"That must be true." Severus spoke darkly, "Or you would know how very unlikely a match between the Weasley's only girl and the Malfoy's heir would be. Before you try to cover it up as a simple dalliance you had in mind, you must know that would be even less advised. Tell me, what is your intention- truthfully- and I shall do whatever I need to as your godfather."

Draco blushed quite delicately for a young man. He much resembled his mother in certain moments. "Well, I was going to ask her to dance…. We've sort of been friends for years and I don't see why I shouldn't try for something more. She should be quite flattered, I think."

"Oh, should she?" Severus arched one eyebrow questioningly at that. "You may have money and the Malfoy name, but have you ever known that particular girl to care about any of that?"

Draco shrugged, "It helps that I'm also incredibly attractive."

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. "Very well. Go make a fool of yourself. It's none of my business."

As Draco rushed off he was caught off guard by Miss Granger appearing at his other side. "I'm guessing you had as much luck as I had."

Severus meant to berate her for speaking so informally to a teacher, he really did, but the words died on his tongue as she held out a sheet of paper with incredibly dark magic written on it. The likes of which he hadn't seen before. "Where did you get this?" He asked quite urgently as his eyes raked over the parchment.

She smiled proudly and tapped her fingers on her temple. "The words you spoke to me months ago in your office really spoke to me. I think I may have cracked the problem most wizards have with easily accessing their innate magic once they rely on artificial foci."

Severus eyes narrowed. "I see that."

Her smile wasn't diminished in the slightest by his lack of positive encouragement. "It's only a rough idea of course. Something like a raw spell to focus your magic out into the world at will. I doubt you could do much more with it than make sparks from your fingers."

Severus knew intimately what kind of sparks could come out of this spell. "This is quite dangerous work… that which most adults would have trouble controlling the results of… I suggest you wait until after you have finished N.E.W.T.s to attempt any practical demonstration of it. In fact, I'd suggest that you come to someone with experience in the Dark Arts who knows what warning signs to look for… in case the spell tries to go wild."

She stepped a bit closer to him in her excitement. "I can be careful. If I have you to guide me."

Severus tried not to inhale as she was reaching out to take her parchment from him and brushed against his arm. But he failed to restrain himself sufficiently and indulged in the accidental sensations. They were perfectly innocent, after all. He handed the parchment back to her hastily. "On one condition-"

"Anything!" She spoke excitedly, not leaving his space.

Severus tried not to think of what that anything could be, unsuccessfully. "You must listen to me when I say stop, and stop. That means stop until I say you can start again. No exceptions."

Her enthusiasm dropped significantly. She took a moment to think it over and he looked at her surreptitiously. "I accept the terms… On one condition."

Severus should have guessed she would try to make it more favourable for herself. "And what would that be?" He spoke resignedly.

"You give me an explanation of why it was necessary for me to stop. After I have stopped, of course." She looked up at him expectantly.

He pretended to really think about her condition. It was worth it for the slight worry that appeared on her face as she undoubtedly thought he'd say no altogether. As she began to fiddle with the hem of her dress, he decided to relieve the suspense. "After winter break. I'll send word of the time we can meet. Now, shouldn't you be enjoying the company of some incredibly clumsy boy?"

She laughed, "As if I would actually enjoy that."

"Doubtless it would be more appropriate than secluding yourself away with your professor to talk Dark Arts." Severus spoke sensuously, his voice taking on some of his private thoughts.

She blushed. "That's for me to decide, isn't it?"

Did she just suggest what he thought she had? Or was his mind and heart reading more into it? He felt the stirrings of something incredibly stupid coming out of his mouth or actions. So he simply nodded, and let her leave after he said nothing further. He watched the rest of the dance proceed with a slight smile on his face that caused anyone looking at him to quickly look away. After all, a happy Severus Snape didn't bode well for anyone as far as they were concerned.

He received the 100 galleons the next day, he had won the bet, much to Lily's disbelief She left Hogwarts soon after that to spend Christmas with her family. Almost no one was left at the Castle after the trains left, besides a bare bones staff and a few students. Hagrid, Filch, Trelawney, Madam Pince, Pompfrey, and himself. The students weren't in a position to go anywhere else. They were the orphans of Death Eaters who had chosen to fight when the Dark Lord died, instead of surrender and face prosecution. Miss Parkinson, Mister Crabbe, and Mister Goyle.

He knew every time he looked at them that he was responsible for their parents' deaths. Maybe not directly, but his influence on the timeline had that effect. And he could try to convince himself that they had deserved it. That they were killers. But he would be a hypocrite if he thought that way. So, when he had no one else in the Castle to distract him, those thoughts about what he had done during the War plagued him worse than usual.

Now he had something to look forward to when term resumed. Her work was crude, as she had implied herself, but it was more like his own depth of understanding than he had thought possible. It worried him that this version of Hermione Granger seemed to have a greater aptitude for Dark Arts than he remembered her having in the alpha timeline. The most worrisome part of that was that he couldn't see how he had changed that about her. As far as he knew, he had not tampered with anything in the Muggle world so she should have been fairly isolated from his effect.

Could his brief interactions with her in her first year have imprinted her somehow? Might she have sought to mimic him in gratitude for his presence while she was so lonely? The questions were more numerous than the answers. All of the answers were the same: he didn't know. If there was one thing he did know, it was that she wouldn't respond well to just telling her not to do any dark magic. That would insure she did it alone without anyone to guide her. Which was especially dangerous considering her intelligence and the experimental nature of the spell she had made. Particularly since it was a form of blood magic.

He thought of helping her paint the runes on her body that would let her feel and see her innate magic. Of course you couldn't just write it on your arms and leave it at that. It would have to go where the magic flowed in her body, which was everywhere. Afterwards she could do the same for him. And she would make the same expression she had only a few nights before. Maybe the brush would shake slightly in her hands. He would steady them as he helped her paint the runes along his skin. It was a fool's dream, of course. Nothing like that could happen so long as he was in a position of authority over her.

"And you berated Draco… when you are twice the fool than he." Severus spoke distantantly into the fire in his private chambers. "A man your age should know better, especially since you lived it twice."

He couldn't change how he felt about her, short of obliviation, and he couldn't change the circumstances that would see him living the rest of his miserable life pining after her. If only he had never become her friend when he had been mentally the same age as her. If only his younger self hadn't noticed the precise way she would smile at him compared to others. If only he hadn't gone back in time to save what he had thought was the love of his life, only to come back very much mistaken but in another impossible situation. He had thought he had foreseen everything that could go wrong. But the universe had laughed at his tiny changes and thrown him for a loop with what he wouldn't have spared a single thought in another life.

The real question was whether he should teach her dark magic or not. If she couldn't control it she could end up like Bella. Probably worse, considering her aptitude was already astonishing. Who better to teach her how to stride that razors edge than he? Most of the people he knew that got deep into Dark magic had never been able to dig themselves out. But he had done it several times over. And now that the War was over he had naught much else to give to the world.

He fell asleep before the fire, and dreamt of all the wonderful, terrible things he could teach Hermione Granger. He woke up in his bed, but didn't remember getting into it the night before.

When term resumed he was in a state of anticipation, so much so that he was much more agitated than usual, and took off more points than was strictly necessary on multiple occasions. He gave it a week before he sent her an owl with the date and time. If he had waited any longer he knew she would have started banging on his door for an explanation. With the day of their meeting looming ever closer he began to doubt that it was at all a good idea to teach someone who already had no problem sending a woman off into a forest full of centaurs, who did who knows what with her, dark magic. To be fair that was the version of her that was more brash. But he wasn't sure that made it better or worse.

A knock sounded on his door at the exact time and date he had listed and he steeled himself for whatever may come as his voice called her in.


	4. Chapter 4

**Unwriting the Past**

**Chapter Four**

**Curiosity Is a Crapshoot**

* * *

After she knocked on his door, she felt a tremor run through her. Her thoughts launched in a million different directions. Trying to settle them into one coherent line of thought was like trying to wrangle pixies. She shot each and every fear down as she slowed her breathing. He wouldn't have agreed to this if he was just going to send her away at the slightest provocation. No matter what past experience would suggest, there was something different about this time. Hermione knew that he had been kinder than usual of late. Ever since the start of the school year in fact. Perhaps kinder wasn't the exact way to describe it. But damned if she could pinpoint exactly how he differed besides a general sense of being more open to her. She had the brief flash of a venus fly trap opening slowly enter her mind. Maybe she was the fly.

His voice startled her out of contemplation and she automatically moved herself into the room as if by siren call. Which wasn't too far from the truth, as her thirst for knowledge was too great for her to ignore. Doubly so because of the secret, forbidden nature of the subject.

The Professor didn't smile as he watched her shut the door behind her. His wand raised and she nearly flinched, until she realized he was simply taking precautions to make sure they would not be spied on, or interrupted. "You brought more than the parchment you showed me the earlier night." He spoke quietly, taking in the rolls of parchments in her arms.

She nodded, mimicking his serious tone by also whispering. "I worked on it over break. Nothing practical. Only the arithmancy and rune work."

His mouth curled slightly in approval. "I should like to see it before we begin."

She placed each roll carefully before him, taking care not to knock over anything on his desk. Once she sat the last roll down, and his desk was covered in them, he taunted her, "Is this all?"

She didn't take offence because the way he said it made her feel included in the joke as opposed to the joke itself. "Actually, no…"

He chuckled at that and a small smile formed on her face as a result. She continued after the moment had passed, "The rest is in a warded compartment of my trunk. But it's mostly preliminary ideas that I should have no problem pointing out to you, should I need to…"

He didn't bother answering her implied question, as he was going over her research with a focused expression on his face. He didn't seem like he thought it was complete rubbish, which was a good sign. "I see you have made note that using one's own blood is usually less effective in offensive spells. Most wouldn't understand why Dark Magic often requires someone else to spill blood."

"It made sense not to use your own blood, because then you would be weakening yourself to hurt them. Not exactly a smart move."

He was back to reading intently, now on a new roll. She was nervous about this one. Much more than the previous one. "If it's not appropriate, I think I can use the visualization method but-"

His expression stilled her rambling tongue. He had sat down the parchment with less grace than usual, and she worried that he would stop his guidance so soon. But he didn't tell her to leave when he opened his mouth. "Where did you come upon this ritual?"

She blushed a darker red at the fierce way he was staring at her. She could feel it rising in her cheeks. "Draco's father lent me a book on dark magic. When I visited during the break. I'm not sure why he thought I would like it, but he seemed insistent that I borrow it."

"Lucius told you of it?" Professor Snape hissed dangerously, "This book… did it have a number of spells for… couples."

She nodded, her face becoming even hotter. "This one didn't seem to be like the others."

He dropped his head, and his shoulders began to shake. Was he crying? She soon heard him hissing in air and making strangled laughs. "Sir? I know you said you would have to be there for my guidance… but I could do this part alone."

"No." He suddenly said, no longer laughing. "No, you can't. It only seemed like it was unlike the other spells… you see… It still requires someone there that you trust to hold onto the magic you release during-"

"Oh! I thought I could transfer it to a totem. Something to store it until I needed it for the spell." She leaned over his desk and pointed to where she had mentioned that in her research. She watched with a strange feeling pooling in her, as Professor Snape tensed at her closeness. That was another thing that was different about him. "It's not as efficient as a human partner, but I should think it will be close enough."

"And if it should go wrong?" He spoke, quieter now that they were much closer together than she had been in the chair in his office. "I don't look forward to informing your relatives of how you expired."

She couldn't very well blame him for that. It would be awkward no matter how you phrased it. "You think I should stick with the visualization exercises?"

He looked into her eyes with an enigmatic expression. "Unless you can think of someone you would trust in your bed, who can also handle any potential magical discharge that may arise."

Something almost made her want to say yes, even though she didn't have anyone in particular in mind. She bit her lip in frustration.

"As I thought." He smugly answered his own unspoken question.

She huffed, and sat back down in the chair. "This school is hampering my ability to learn. Sure, we'll teach you how to turn hedgehogs into pincushions but learning about sex magic would be wrong… Why are Witches and Wizards even worried when they have all manner of spells and potions to keep them safe during sex? It boggles the mind. Such Victorian ethics… Senseless."

Professor Snape looked gobsmacked by her sudden rant. "You mean to tell me there is something the know-it-all Granger doesn't know?"

"Well, nobody's perfect." She spoke, irritated she couldn't try what seemed to be a useful and incredibly fun spell.

"These spells always confer a level of power over the other party. Not only does it lead to more compliance between the two, but often times you can hurt the other person if your emotions are strong enough. That more true for those who haven't the experience to control themselves and are bubbling cauldrons of hormones. That's why we keep the children from doing anything more than light groping and heavy snogging." Professor Snape explained. "If you performed the spell with a friend, and they later betrayed you, they could use your magic against you."

"And If I performed it with someone who is experienced?" She asked, though she wasn't sure why.

Professor Snape's eyes became even darker, and harder to read. "There is still the matter of trust."

"What if I'm willing to take the risk, either way?" She spoke, and watched the subtle play of emotions on his face.

"This speculation is pointless. I have a potion which should allow you to do the same thing with my guidance… without breaking the school rules." He tuned his back on her as he spoke.

Hermione watched as he procured a vial from his cabinet. His cape was off and draped over his chair. It afforded her a better view of his shape. For some reason she was surprised by how slim he was without it. He'd always seemed larger than life. His presence taking up much more space in her mind. But, he was incredibly thin. For one strange moment she wondered if she could see his ribs under his skin if he had his shirt off.

She mimicked his smirk and asked, "Where's the fun in that?"

He laughed lightly in response. "Only being able to finish your education and not be expelled, nor have your wand confiscated. Trifle little fun indeed."

"And what good would having my wand confiscated do if I learned wandless magic?" Hermione retorted, enjoying the game of words she was playing with the Professor.

He smirked. "Undoubtedly the Ministry, in their infinite wisdom, would find some way to inconvenience you." He opened the vial, and revealed that the lid concealed something like a pipette. "Miss Granger, stand up please and come forward."

She obeyed the command, mostly because she trusted him not to poison her. She was sure that Draco would have mentioned if his Godfather enjoyed poisoning young women. She stood fairly close, not sure if it was an oral potion, or perhaps one that is applied topically. He placed the vial down on his desk and, once his hand was free, he lightly gripped her chin. The pressure was only slight but she obediently parted her lips just the same. The pipette dropped one droplet of the potion on her tongue. The effect didn't seem immediate, as far as she could tell. He stepped back from her to close the vial, and she began to sway.

The walls were vibrating like unseen strings as her vision began to take on new dimensions she had never seen before. Professor Snape had quickly grabbed her forearms as he saw her begin to lose balance. Her breath came in a huge gasp as she felt him in a different way. His magic was vibrating along her skin in deep waves. If she could hear it as a sound, it would be a very low pitch. "The muggles call it string theory… just how they managed to almost discover the other dimensions they can't see… is almost magical in itself. Each and every thing vibrates in this higher dimension. Even for wizards, it's impossible to see without some sort of assistance. What do you feel?"

She tried to focus on one thing, her Professor, and a strange thing happened. Her own magic began vibrating between the lulls in his… almost like a dance. "Music… but nothing like what's on the Wireless. It's a silent orchestra. The music is felt, not heard."

"I want to show you something." Professor Snape spoke, his hands tightening slightly on her arms. "What you can do if you will it."

She nodded, her eyes glued to his. He moved her around so that she could lean on his desk. With the contact gone, she reached out to maintain the tune with their magics. His eyes widened as her bluebell flames danced in the air between them. She had done a form of silent, wandless magic. He looked pleased as he lifted his hands and dark smoke billowed out. The smoke curled around her flames like snakes and put them out. He motioned, and the smoke retreated. "Those are parlor tricks of course. You can fly if you control it… And worse."

She reached out to him and grabbed his hand. "Show me."

"Can't." He spoke darkly, "At least not here. Not nearly enough room, as you can see."

The vibrations were more intense with skin contact, but she noticed an inconsistency. As if he had multiple signatures. She didn't know what to make of that. She focused on the other one as she held his hand for a moment. "I can feel something different, Professor."

He removed her hand from his rather quickly. "Don't."

The office faded back into it's normal appearance, as she stood silently beside him. He had presented her a puzzle, and then told her to not attempt to solve it. "But-"

"That's final," He growled, stalking away from her. "It's time for you to head back up to your tower."

She moved to pick up the rolls of parchment, he stopped her with a hand on her wrist. "You may leave these here. Just because you have a curfew, does not mean that I have to stop."

She frowned, he was being curt again. "Yes, Professor."

He waved her off dismissively, and she left with another problem to solve. Whether he liked it or not. She held no pretensions that he would.

* * *

Severus let out a puff of air as he listened to Granger's foot falls fade away, only the slight echo left from the stone walls. He had almost given everything away in the space of a few seconds. If she hadn't been as bright, or brighter, than everyone said she was, he suspected she wouldn't have been able to single out the oddities in his magical signature. The multiple selves he had merged to pull off his reality warping spell left something alien in his magic to people that were native to this reality. And if any of them found out what he had done that might just decide he was too dangerous to leave alone. After all, if he could change another reality… he could change theirs if he didn't like something about it. He doubted they would listen to his ardent promise to leave well enough alone. After the first time, he'd promised himself he would never do it again.

So now that he was resigned to work with Granger on her tutelage in Dark magic, he would have to find someway to mask those pieces of himself that weren't this timeline specific. Perhaps by adding yet another vibration that would cancel out the one he wanted to be unexpressed. In the mean time he would have her work without the use of the potion. He'd spent the entire bet on the rare ingredients that had gone into brewing that tiny bottle, he would have to ration it as much as he could.

At Breakfast the next day he watched with growing unease as Granger dove into research about things he'd rather her not know. She wasn't very close, but it was still too close for his peace of mind. As long as she kept it to herself it would take her much longer. It was when she listened to Miss Lovegood that she made her most divergent thinking. Severus was so engrossed that he didn't notice he'd been burning a hole into Granger's head with his glare alone. Until Lily spoke from his left side, softly nudging him to attention. "I can't see what that girl's done to make you look so angry, Severus."

He snorted. "What hasn't she done?"

His eyes stopped boring a hole in Granger's back to look at Lily. Her own gaze was taking in her son talking with Miss Weasley. "She resembles me a bit, don't you think, Sev?"

Severus shrugged, only briefly glancing over at Miss Weasley. "In that she's a vivacious redhead, I suppose. But you were never one for Quidditch, and she's training to replace your son as Captain."

"She's also friends with a Slytherin that none of her housemates approve of…" Lily added.

Severus conceded that point. "What Slytherin would they approve of? You and I know as well as anyone that Gryffindor-Slytherin rivalry is almost timeless in this school. Probably started during the Founder's era and hasn't stopped for a moment since."

Lily smiled sadly at that. "It's really a shame. The two houses could learn a lot from one another if they simply stopped fighting."

Severus knew all too well what they could learn from one another… not that he'd admit it. He'd probably rather kill the person who called him brave than acknowledge that facet of himself. It was bad enough that Dumbledore still thought he had saved the world from Voldemort by coming back in time. As soon as the old man died there would be no loose ends. Which could be some time since the Wizard was approaching his 200th birthday in just a decade or so. With no signs of slowing down. "Draco has certainly benefited from having friends outside of his house. He's only moderately narcissistic now."

Lily laughed delicately, covering it behind her hand. "How can you tell?"

Severus smiled nastily at the young Malfoy heir, who was absorbed in staring at nothing in particular. Read: not looking like he was spying on the youngest Weasley, when that was exactly what he was doing. Miss Parkinson was yammering about something, so occasionally Draco would nod in acknowledgement. Severus paid his godson no further thought and turned his gaze on Miss Granger, she had finished her breakfast and was rushing out of the hall to get in a few minutes of library time before the first class of the day. Severus got up himself, and followed her. Not bothering to say goodbye to anyone at the table. They wouldn't have expected him to do so anyway.

He caught up with her in the Restricted Section, he wondered which soft heart had given her a pass this time. Dumbledore had undoubtedly left it available to her year round, so that she would stop bothering his teachers. She was in the furthest back row of shelves, already pulling books down. She placed them on a desk conveniently placed near by. Severus picked up one of the volumes she had laid down while her back was turned. "_A Treatise on the Higher Dimensions_? I can't imagine you would need this for any of your sixth year coursework."

She spun around, her blue and bronze tie fluttering with the sudden movement. "Professor Snape-"

"Spare me your excuses, Granger," He murmured tracing his finger along the spine of the next text he picked up. "I warned you not to meddle in affairs you have no comprehension of… Do you think me blind? Or perhaps dim?"

"No, sir," She spoke defiantly, her chin set in determination. "Merely closed off to the possibility that you can trust other people."

Severus narrowed his eyes at her, but she didn't break eye contact or flinch in any way. "And I'm supposed to trust someone who would go behind my back... when expressly told to mind her own business?"

Her expression became just as pissed as his probably looked at the moment. "I'm doing nothing wrong by pursuing my interests. You'd see that if you weren't so caught up in your paranoid thinking."

"I'm beginning to rethink my offer of tutelage-" He began, only to be interrupted by her.

"Go ahead! Rescind your offer. I'll find someone else, Mr Malfoy for one." Granger crossed her arms and turned away from him.

Severus reacted a bit emotionally to that, and grabbed her to try and make her listen to what he had to say. She shook out of his grasp. "Don't think you can just intimidate me into submission-"

He grabbed her again, more firmly, and backed her roughly against the library shelves. "You think this is intimidation? This is a muggle's idea of intimidation. What I can do to you is far worse."

She shivered under his hands. She struggled but their wasn't enough space to give her leverage. "Let me go."

"Isn't this what you wanted?" He asked snidely. "Otherwise you wouldn't have pried into my personal business. If you want to go. Go." He didn't release her. "Well? Are you a witch, or not?"

She blasted him into the table, causing the shelf behind it to shake. "That is enough of that. You will tell me, or so help me, I will figure it out! Whatever it is that you are trying to hide…"

He put a hand to the back of his head, and blood came back on his fingers. "Or you'll do what, Miss Granger? Why should I make it any easier on you?"

He looked up and caught her slight frown of guilt when she saw his blood coated fingers. "Now she sees what she might unleash… but does she understand?" He mocked her, rubbing his blood between his fingers. "This isn't a path you can take lightly."

She pulled a vial of dittany from her beaded purse. "Stay still a moment, Professor." She asked, leaning over him to inspect the back of his head. Severus sucked in a breath as his face came quite close to being pressed into her chest. "This doesn't look too bad." She whispered above him as she combed his hair back from the wound. He could just lean forward a bit and accidently brush his nose against the fabric that hid her from indecent eyes. His hands clenched themselves into fists. He bit his lip to try to control his libido.

She leaned back when she was done. "Looks like your lip is bleeding too." She put a dab on her finger and spread it on his lip. He groaned, involuntarily. "Sorry! It must sting."

He licked his lips after she was done. "Not especially."

She was on her knees now, between his legs and looked a bit more willing to listen. "I just want to understand, Professor."

"One day, Miss Granger… If you will leave it alone… I will tell you. I want to tell you, I do, but I don't think the time is right just yet." He spoke genuinely, causing her eyes to widen with surprise. She smiled happily in the next moment, and his heart skipped a beat.

"I'll hold you to it." She held out her hand. "A Wizard's oath isn't necessary, I should think, but the symbolism behind a handshake can't be ignored."

His hand loosened from a fist and he took her hand in his for a perfunctory shake. If he held it a bit longer than usual, who would know?

* * *

The next few weeks of meetings were spent going over her research, and talking extensively about it. Suggestions were made on his part to refine the spell, which she adapted quite eagerly. He couldn't really call it a spell, it was more of a ritual. He'd have to secure permission from Dumbledore to have access to Hogwarts' magic. The Castle was a source of some of the most ancient spellwork that was still in existence. If he somehow managed to break the source, he wasn't sure there would be much of a castle left. The magic of the place was in every stone.

Classes were much the same as always, despite the new subject he was teaching. Particularly with Mister Potter and Mister Malfoy stepping up their aggression on one another. He had to pair them against other people when they couldn't focus enough for silent casting. Not that it kept them from trying to jinx one another when they thought he wasn't looking. He'd had enough in the last class and assigned them detentions.

He glared at them both as they sat before him in the defense classroom. They were sitting on opposite sides of the room, both glancing at the other in abject hate.

"Mr. Potter, your mother has spoken to you before, I assume, about the folly of starting fights. And yet you persist in this foolishness." Severus chided.

"Tell that to him!" Potter loudly grumbled, looking petulant as always.

"Don't presume I haven't." Severus said, his voice laced with a touch of anger. "As for you, Mr. Malfoy… Your father would be ashamed of how you are misrepresenting the Malfoy name."

"I don't care about my family name!" Draco shouted.

"I highly doubt that's true." Severus Spoke sinisterly, tapping the board behind him with his wand. He smirked. "You will both take Veritaserum, administered by myself, and then speak truthfully about what is bothering you. One, and then the other. Afterwards you will find a solution to your petty squabble, and cease and desist with disturbing my classroom."

"You can't do that! Veritaserum is a highly controlled substance by the Ministry. Especially against minors." Potter spoke, demonstrating he did know things. Shocking.

"Well aware of that, Potter. You will find I have every permission needed. Your parents both signed the release forms." Severus grinned evilly. "Which of you wants to go first?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Unwriting the Past**

**Chapter 5:**

**The Silent O**

* * *

**Warning! The story earns it M rating in this chapter. If you are not comfortable with sexual intimacy... you may not want to read this story as it will have sexual themes. If you dislike teacher/student... definitely shouldn't read this as it explores that dynamic. Consent is always clearly implied, but YMMV when it comes to such a pairing. Both are of age and the older partner is not older by a significant amount. He's 36, and she is 17, almost 18. Wizard life spans can reach as long as 200 or so, naturally, and longer if you have help from alchemy. If you are fine with all that, please proceed.**

* * *

Draco pointed swiftly at Potter only to find that the other boy had been just as quick to volunteer the other. Thankfully he didn't have to wait long for Professor Snape to settle it.

"Potter, you have the dubious honor of going first." His Head of House proclaimed.

The Golden Boy of Gryffindor glared at him before getting up for his dose of the potion.

"Don't look so murderous, Mr. Potter. This will hurt me more than it will you. Do you have any idea how many Galleons it takes to brew one vial of Veritaserum?" Professor spoke as he administered the dosage required for an hour of truth telling.

"No." Harry Potter answered.

"Let's start with the basics," Severus Snape murmured, carding his fingers together as he sat in a chair nearby. "What is your mother's maiden name?"

"Evans... though I don't see how that's going to show that the potion is working… You should ask me something I would have a problem answering." Potter speech became more bland and his eyes distant as he spoke.

"What is causing your aggressive feelings towards Draco Malfoy?" Professor Snape asked after shining his wand in Potter's eyes to check his pupil response.

"I'm scared." Potter spoke without inflection.

Draco was sure he must have heard him wrong. "Did he just say he was scared? What does he have to be scared of?"

The other boy turned his emotionless eyes on him, the green seemed as stagnant as a marsh. "Being left alone."

"You are surrounded by people," Draco taunted, "How can you possibly fear being alone? And what does that have to do with me?"

Potter looked confused by this line of questioning. "People leave…" He seemed to be struggling to explain it himself. "They die."

Draco had no idea what Potter was going on about. As far as he knew, Potter hadn't had anyone close to him die. "Are you sure this is Veritaserum, Professor?"

Professor Snape narrowed his eyes in irritation. "Positive, Mr. Malfoy." The Professor signalled to him to be quiet for a moment as he continued asking questions. "What does Draco Malfoy do to trigger your fear of abandonment?"

"He took Hermione from me." Harry answered, then looked surprised by what he himself had said. "He gets everything."

Draco snorted. "I think either something is wrong with his brain or your potion, sir. How could I have 'taken' Hermione from him when she was never 'his' for me to take?"

"Hermione was my best friend." Potter answered.

Draco face palmed, completely flabbergasted that Potter would find some way to out and out lie when under Veritaserum. "No, you prat, she wasn't. I'm her best friend. Stop lying."

"I'm not." Potter answered tonelessly. "She was… until something happened… I can't remember… it's confusing…"

"Don't push yourself, Mr. Potter." Uncle Severus spoke understandingly. "I believe you think Miss Granger was your friend."

"You believe this nut job?" Draco asked incredulously.

"That will be all," Professor Snape ignored him, "I have no further questions, so I'm going to give you the antidote."

Draco sulked, he hadn't gotten anything incriminating on Potter. Plus, he didn't get the full hour that he felt was due him. Perhaps he wouldn't have to do it himself. Uncle Severus snapped his fingers in front of Potter's face until he responded by pushing himself back in his chair.

"You should remember what you said while under Veritaserum." Severus Snape spoke neutrally.

Potter nodded, swallowing slightly. "My throat is dry, sir."

Professor Snape summoned a glass and filled it with water from his wand. Potter inspected it skeptically, before giving into his thirst. As if he could tell if it was poisoned just by looking at it.

"Mr. Malfoy, if you would take a seat up here once Mr. Potter is done using the chair, we can begin." Professor Snape casually dashed his hopes.

Draco obeyed the Professor, given he hadn't many other options. His parents had agreed to this, so he couldn't protest on that count. To try to flee was pointless. To try to fight was suicidal.

There was a sinking sensation as he felt the drop hit his tongue, like fearing the guillotine was going to come down on his head. Then as he swallowed and breathed out, his fear seemed to go with it.

"I think we can skip the preliminaries." Draco heard as if from afar, the voice was very familiar but he didn't feel attached to it's immediate effect. "Why do you continue fighting with Mr. Potter?"

"He spurned my offer of friendship." Draco spoke as if it was the most natural thing in the world to say.

Draco heard the echo of a laugh that didn't reach him inside. He turned toward the sound and looked up at Potter, shimmering in and out of focus.

"When did this occur?" He heard from some point on his left.

"Before the Sorting." Draco answered robotically.

"That never happened," Potter spoke, his voice crashing in waves around him. "He never spoke to me until we both were made Seekers."

"I find that hard to believe, Mr. Potter." Professor Snape sneered, "Mr. Malfoy, did you genuinely want to be his friend when you offered?"

"Yeah," Draco murmured, "I was in awe of him. The Boy Saviour."

"None of this makes any sense, Professor." Harry interjected. "Where are these weird things coming from?"

"I can't say… This may be something from a past life… Some witches and wizards believe you can remember other lives you've experienced. Usually in the sense of deja vu. But other times more vividly." Severus Snape told them. "Of course, I've never really put much stock into it."

"Seems pretty specific for a past life… Sir." Potter contradicted.

"Like I said, Mr. Potter, I don't put much stock in it." Professor Snape spoke coldly. "Draco, is there anything else about Harry Potter, something more recent, that is bothering you?"

"He's after Ginny. He doesn't know the first thing about her… I do." Draco answered without hesitation. "I'm afraid she likes him more."

Soon after that, Draco was given the antidote and returned to being in control of his speech. "If you breathe a word of this to anyone I'll-"

"Save it, Malfoy." Potter spoke dismissively, "Mutually assured destruction."

"Now for phase two, coming to an agreement like mature adults." Professor Snape spoke before they could threaten each other some more. "Obviously, you both have a romantic interest in the same girl. Before you each act as the others Iago to your Othello, you should both realize that Miss Weasley won't be interested in either of you if you act as children around her."

"Are you giving us romantic advice?" Potter laughed.

Professor Snape grinned ruthlessly. "If I thought it would do any good."

"I guess… If Potter backs off… So will I," Draco reluctantly agreed. "This doesn't mean I won't stop trying to court her."

Harry Potter shrugged, and spoke just as reluctantly, "I'll stop as well, with the same terms."

"I suggest the both of you return to your common rooms," Professor Snape said while turning his back on them in dismissal. Potter was almost out of the door before the sentence had finished being uttered. Draco watched for a moment more as Professor Snape ascended the stairs to his office. He tore his gaze away when the door was slammed shut. Something wasn't adding up with what had been said, especially what the Professor had said, but Draco knew the surest way to piss off his Godfather would be to pry. He wasn't so vain as to think that he could do it without the older man knowing.

* * *

The next day Severus was pleased to note that hostilities between the two boys had ceased. They had upgraded to simply ignoring one another. He hoped it would stay that way for his sake. He hadn't counted on the Veritaserum accessing memories from the alpha timeline. He'd thought that those personalities had been eradicated with the changes that had been made to the timeline. He'd obviously been proven wrong about that.

Severus contemplated if he could get Hermione to remember everything. To tell the truth, he missed the girl he'd gotten to know as his younger self. There was something different about the one he was now mentoring in Dark Magic, something that hadn't been in the other Hermione. She wasn't as afraid about deviating from the book, or from school rules for that matter. 'Mine and Draco's influence on her, along with her new sorting in the house of eccentrics, no doubt.'

The alpha Hermione also displayed certain traits from Gryffindor that he admired. Her chivalrousness, for one. He hadn't seen much of that from her at all recently. Ravenclaw had reinforced the traits associated with her intelligence, but made her inherent heart of lesser importance.

Severus wondered if perhaps the timelines had merged not only for him, but for everyone else. If so, there was every possibility that he could have only bought himself a little time. As soon as the rest remembered… it would open up a Pandora's Box.

"Professor?" Granger murmured questioningly as she sat across from him in his office. They were close to testing her new spell, he'd already received permission from the Headmaster.

"As you were saying." He waved for her to continue.

She bit her lip in concentration, or was that worry? He couldn't be sure. "Did Headmaster Dumbledore ask why you needed to access the Castle's magic?"

Severus smirked. "Of course."

"And?" Hermione prodded.

"I told him I was working on something that might see us into unlocking the mystery of how the Castle was built. You might not know this, but the Headmaster is a bit of a History buff… he readily agreed. As long as he gets to be there. It wouldn't hurt to have someone of his power and experience there, should anything go wrong." Severus spoke to her informally. He enjoyed letting down some of his guard around her. It wasn't often he found someone who he could share his love of Dark Magic with that wasn't a raving lunatic. He liked to watch the thoughts race across her face. How many of the boys her age would appreciate her intelligence? How many would be fascinated with her mouth, not just for it's beautiful shape, but for the words spilling out of it?

"I don't know what dark power you hold over him… but I'm glad for it." Hermione laughed, her eyes glowing from the light from the fire and candles in the room.

Severus smiled softly for a moment, before changing it to a smirk. "He's under the impression that I'm some kind of byronic hero."

Hermione blushed. "I don't know what would give him that idea. It's not like you are dark, mysterious, and yet honorable."

"You might want to take that last one back. If you had any idea, any at all, what I've done… you wouldn't dare label me with that word." He was a bit miffed that she also saw him as some kind of hero. He was anything but.

She sighed. "Typical byronic response. 'Oh I'm so bad, so damaged, no one can possibly love me'. We rarely see in ourselves that which other people see. If you have done horrible things, did you not do them for the right reasons?"

"Selfish ones, Miss Granger," Severus responded, "I wasn't interested in the wider implications."

Hermione smiled ironically, "Who, among any of us, is? At least you are self aware enough to see it."

"What are your plans for after Hogwarts?" Severus quickly changed the subject, tired of being exposed to so much examination.

"Much the same as what I am currently doing. Research. For the most part. Maybe find someone who shares that passion and fall in love. I'm undecided on the subject of children. Although, I keep hearing it is something all women should want at some point." Hermione shrugged, "I just want to know as much as I can and make a difference in the world."

"Is that all?" He smirked at her rapidly reddening face.

"You think it's not attainable? That it's too idealistic?" Hermione spoke, "I've heard that all before."

"No," He shook his head slightly, rustling the dark hair that framed his face. "I think you could do more."

Her look of shock was priceless, as was the way she smiled at him after the shock had worn off. "Oh. I never imagined you would be the one to tell me that. You've always been so critical and demanding."

"For good reason." He quickly responded, "Everyone in your life is so pleased when you show the barest of effort. I could see that you were capable of so much more. It's one thing to get excellent, or even the best, grades in the school… quite another to ascend above that paradigm."

She shyly looked away to hide the small tears developing in her eyes. Severus restrained himself from reaching across the desk to wipe them from her cheeks. She seemed to have trouble finding something to say to that. "Y-you git."

He hadn't expected her to say that. "What?"

"You made me cry…" She answered, wiping at her face. "I never cry. I haven't since first year."

"Be thankful you weren't in public. How would your image as the Ravenclaw ice queen hold up to such shameful displays of emotion?" Severus teased, and then spoke more earnestly. "You needn't have hid your face. I'm sure you look lovely when you cry."

It was her turn to be confused again. "W-what?"

"Or at least not so hideous that I would want to gouge out my own eyes." Severus playfully taunted her.

Her tears had dried as she got peeved at his teasing of her. "Try not to so obviously take enjoyment of others embarassment… it makes you seem a bit sadistic."

"I can not confirm or deny that statement." Severus spoke, still smirking.

"And you call me insufferable." Hermione retorted.

"As the Muggles say: Takes one to know one."

"Speaking of which… since we talk about blood a fair amount and you seem to know a lot about Muggles and their culture-"

"I'm a half blood, pure blood on my mother's side and muggle on the other." Severus offered, since he knew what she was going to ask. "I grew up in a muggle neighbourhood that was in the midst of falling into disrepair. My father hated magic… because he was afraid of a woman with a power he couldn't understand. And my mother was too afraid of abandonment to see that he didn't love her any more. She didn't want to be alone… even if it meant she was miserable. I didn't have an idyllic home life… but I never blamed her for how I turned out. I got into the Dark Arts, got mixed up in that crowd, because I had an affinity for it… I just wanted to be powerful enough to stop being afraid. That's why I became a Death Eater… and I became the Headmaster's spy for similar reasons. Only I was afraid for someone else more than for myself. I wasn't, and am still not, interested in what serves the greater good. If there is such a thing."

Severus felt a weight lift off of his chest at admitting all that to someone else. It wasn't the entirety of his sins, not even close, but it was a start.

Hermione moved forward and gently touched his hand. Her body leant over his desk to reach him. "To save one person is to save the world."

Severus' heart stopped in his chest. Before roaring to a start again. His eyes were locked on hers. "Granger," he rumbled in warning.

She moved even closer, her hand ghosting up his arm. She remained enigmatically silent. Her eyes fluttered closed but she had stopped her hand reached his chest, and hovered over his heart. He knew he was buggered because it was fit to burst from his chest. She'd have to be pretty naive not to realize what that meant.

He took her hand off his heart and kept it in his hands. He felt her pulse point of her wrist jump somewhat erratically as his thumb brushed across it. Her eyes opened to stare into his, they were all too keen.

"I had to be sure…" She whispered. "The uncertainty is not something I like to live with."

Severus nodded in understanding. "If you wish to stop…"

"Never!" She spoke fiercely, gripping his hand tightly, "Whatever you feel for me can only hurt our working relationship as much as you let it."

"Too true," Severus chuckled sadly.

"And I…" She trailed off, her cheeks quite red. "I never thought I might feel this way… towards anyone… but I'm glad it's you."

"I won't insult your maturity or intelligence by asking if you are sure, Hermione," Severus spoke while lightly writing runes into her wrists, "But don't mistake that as not being completely thrown by your feelings… Because I never thought you would feel anything for me at all."

She laughed, tears in her eyes that were brought on by the strong emotions. "We're a pair, aren't we? A more oblivious couple of people you could never meet when it comes to something as simple as…" She paused for a moment to reclaim his eyes. "I can't even say it."

He soothed her with a soft caress of her face. "You don't have to…"

She licked her lips, and he instinctively copied her motion. "This is the part where we try to kiss and something inevitably interrupts… so I'll just do this quick."

She pressed her lips against his, it was firm yet gentle. It wasn't some long, drawn out affair, but it set him ablaze just the same. She sighed as she pulled away, the tickle of air from her parted lips driving him mad.

"Attraction confirmed." She spoke distractedly.

His hand slid from her cheek to her neck and behind her neck as he brought her in for another kiss. He'd only kissed one other girl in his entire life… and she went on to marry someone he didn't much care for… so he had the urgent feeling that he had to make it up somehow. At first, it was slightly awkward, because she was across a wide desk, but she soon got on the other side of it. She sat on top of the desk as he bent his head slightly to more firmly capture her lips. His body had tucked itself between her legs, in what seemed like the natural position. Her skirt pushed up and away from where upper legs rested against her. He moved himself against her on instinct alone.

After a few moments he shuddered with pleasure… not being to help his reaction. He quickly removed the cum from his pants with a scourgify. The urgency had worn off so he backed away from her panting form, sprawled out quite sexily on his desk. He was going to order her to leave, for both their sakes, when she began touching herself. "Not… done… yet…" She spoke in a half moan, her breath hitching slightly on certain words.

He stood there shocked as she brought herself to climax, her body quaking but her mouth in a silent O. He'd never seen anything more erotic. She didn't shy away from finishing what he'd started. Her panties were drenched… he wondered what she would taste like. 'You are going to hell, Severus Snape.'

She moved to clean herself up with her wand, and he pinned her wrist down, and fixed her with a predatory grin. "Let me."

He Vanished her soaked panties and set himself between her thighs. He'd read somewhere that women had little to no refractory period, and he wanted to test that for himself. He licked and nibbled on her inner thighs at first, inching himself ever slowly to where she was dripping so much it was beginning to pool on his desk. He'd never tasted anything like it, that was for sure. All the same, just the taste of her and her continued sounds of pleasure soon made him quite hard again. "Hermione," He murmured as he licked the outside of her lips, collecting the dewy moisture there. His voice seemed to cause her to spasm and he watched in fascination as more liquid came out. He went to work on cleaning her up, but it seemed it was a never ending job, not that he minded one bit.

After her fourth or fifth quake she cried out, "No more… Please… I'm going crazy."

"You like this then?" He punctuated his words with a flick of his tongue.

"Obviously," She spoke, mirroring the way he had said it once before.

He allowed her to regain her composure, but not her panties. "Don't bother transfiguring something to wear."

She blushed. "What if someone sees?"

"You will just have to be as exceedingly careful, as always." He spoke arrogantly, helping her stand up on her shaking legs.

"I think you may have compromised my ability to walk." She said, wobbling over to where her book bag was hanging from a chair.

"I believe you will recover… in time. Unfortunately you don't have much as curfew ends in ten minutes."

She looked at him panicked, before dashing out the door so fast her skirt lifted, and he got the perfect view of her ass. He licked his lips in satisfaction.

'I've probably made a terrible mistake… but it was the best one I've ever made.' He thought, arranging himself before he sat back down to grade a stack of essays he had put off for after his meeting with Hermione. He sighed, wishing she was still here to distract him. He picked up his quill, dipped it in the bright red ink, and worked out his frustration.


	6. Chapter 6

**Unwriting the Past**

**Chapter 6**

**Deus Ex Tapestry**

* * *

The Ravenclaw screeched to a halt in front of the common room entrance, before taking the eagle head knocker in hand and pounding it quickly against the wooden door.

The eagle opened it's beak with somewhat of a yawn, which looked very strange on a bird, and spoke tiredly, "What is so delicate that saying its name breaks it?"

Hermione blanked. Her mouth opening and closing like a fish, no sound coming out.

The eagle took pity on her and spoke, "You are already so close."

"Silence!" She spit out triumphantly.

The door popped open and she went on in. A few of the sixth and seventh years were still up, as was Luna, who seemed to be waiting for her. Or reading upside down for the challenge, one could never be sure. "Hermione, you are quite infested with nargles. Might you have lost something recently?"

Hermione blushed, thinking of her Vanished panties. "I haven't lost anything, as far as I know. But you will be the first person I inform should that be the case. Luna," Hermione sat down carefully next to the younger girl, "I was wondering what you thought of time travel?"

Luna sat down her book and fiddled with her radish earrings. "Well, it's incredibly fascinating, of course, and the Ministry keeps a tight control over the one known method of time travel… My mum was working on a spell that would transport you into your body at a previous point in time. She commenced trials on it too early… she wanted to be the youngest winner of the prestigious Spellmaster Award for her work in charms."

"What was that about putting yourself in your younger body?" Hermione focused Luna's rambles.

"It works, or would have, like so… your conscious thoughts and memories are transported through time… much like a portkey but without any physical implement used to trigger it. Mum was bridging the gap between times using her own body as an anchor point… she must have miscalculated and as a result it disintegrated her. Dad said it was lucky that it only destroyed her body, because it could have destroyed her entirely… which would have meant I would have never been born." Luna spoke in her usual detached and dreamy manner. "I still think about what that would have been like sometimes… a world without me."

Hermione frowned, "I think some part of your dad would remember you both. Something can't exist and then have never existed… it's always existed in some way."

Luna nodded, a small smile on her face but her eyes clouded with something uncertain. "You may be right, but I wish sometimes that she had waited longer… checked the arithmancy one more time… anything so that she would still be here."

Hermione could not fathom exactly how it must feel to have one or more parents dead. But she knew she would find out eventually, hopefully not anytime soon. Hermione held Luna's hand, in a show of sympathy for the other girl's pain. "Luna..."

"It's okay, Hermione." Luna smiled. "I'm okay."

Hermione squeezed briefly before letting the other girl's hand go. "I'm going to bathe, and then I'm off to bed. If you want we can get pudding tomorrow, from the kitchens…"

"I'd like that," Luna smiled, while shooing her off.

Hermione spared her one last look before heading past the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw, ignoring the staircase up to the dorms she went into the female loo. It was slightly dim, and eerily silent. Somewhere in the large room there came a steady dripping sound. "Blasted pipes."

Her voice echoed back to her from the large domed ceiling. The showers were arranged in the center around a large pillar that reached the ceiling. Hermione's first stop, however, was to the small squares where you could lay your clothes. Once she stripped bare, she padded over to the nearest shower, and closed the curtain behind her. Though, there wasn't much point considering she was completely alone, it was a habit that had been ingrained into her by now. She would have gone to the prefects bathroom, but there hadn't been time.

The shower sputtered to life, already a reasonable temperature. In fact, the water pressure and temperature was always just how she like it. She wondered what charm work went into that. But she also contemplated the possibility that the Castle could intuitively predict your needs… perhaps it was even sentient.

She hissed in satisfaction as the hot water massaged her back and ran in rivulets down her legs. She turned around and pressed a button to dispense some shampoo into her palm. She lathered and rinsed very quickly, then did the same with the conditioner. She turned off the water and shivered as she shuffled her wet feet over to the towels. She could have cast a drying charm on herself, but it often left her hair frizzy.

After she was dry, she got dressed and made her way up to her dorm room. All of the other girls were already asleep, so she quietly made her way into her bed. Once she got in the bed, she took of her clothes, found her sleeping garments at the end of the bed where she had left them, and put them on before getting under the covers. She sent the dirty ones into a clothes basket under her bed with a wave of her hand. Even Severus Snape didn't know how quickly she had become adept with wandless magic.

The thought of him brought color to her cheeks, and she realized that it hadn't been a fevered daydream. She would never have guessed he would want her back. She had thought she had developed a silly crush on him that would disappear once she became used to his new behaviour towards her. But the more she tried to ignore the conflicting feelings, the more they begged for attention.

When he had backed her against the bookshelf in the restricted section, and his eyes had bored into her, she almost forgot to defend herself because she wanted him to do something while he had her pinned. At first, it had been hard to define exactly what she wanted. But she researched, like always, and found that she wanted it all. But she most wanted to kiss.

She weighed the pros and cons of feeling sexually attracted to Professor Snape, and the pros won out because she couldn't deny how much she enjoyed being with him. When he talked with her about the Dark Arts, she saw a side of him that was often thought to not exist. He enjoyed the Dark Arts like most people enjoyed the flash bang of the other disciplines. His excitement about it excited her in equal measure. And she now knew exactly where that excitement could lead her after the night's activities.

Her heart quickened in remembrance. She knew most girls would feel some sense of shame that they had so quickly moved from kissing to cunnilingus, but she couldn't. Not when she could still feel him moving against her, at first so sweetly unsure, and then with a singular purpose. With her eyes closed, she could almost hear him calling her name in the deep yet sinuous voice of his. How could she regret a moment that had been so perfect, she was sure to remember it vividly when she becomes as old as Dumbledore?

She soon fell asleep, only to dream of him.

* * *

First year Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Slytherins and Gryffindors brought about its own complications. Whenever Lily's daughter got something right, it was easy to award her points. But when she acted up, which was rare, he found himself torn on what he should do. He usually took a few points off and tried not to see the shades of her father in her. The girl was a spitting image of Lily except for her jet black hair that flowed softly about her face. It was like looking at a slightly paler twin of Harry Potter, that just so happened to be a girl. He couldn't help but notice her stark ambition to live up to the Potter name.

Especially when he would catch her and her brother together outside of class. She idolized Harry, his skill with the broom, his perceived excellence at Defense. For the most part it was clear Harry doted on her, as older brothers often do. But he didn't want her to only socialize with him, especially when the boy was trying to woo Ginny Weasley.

Severus had walked into just such a scene oly days before where Miss Potter was trying to pull her brother away to go teach her how to fly, when the girl had gotten sight of Miss Weasley coming down the hall. "You didn't even like her until this year... Can't you spend some time with your _only_ sister to teach her her how to fly?" She had tried to persuade him.

"Later, Dolls, I want to talk with someone who is my height for a bit." Mr. Potter dismissed his sister, who then turned around and ran towards the dungeons.

Severus now found himself offering the girl tea as she cried in his office. This part of being Head of House was always the most awkward. Severus Snape was not what one would call an empathetic listener. Thank Merlin for the Calming Drought he laced the tea with, or he wasn't sure he would be able to salvage his sanity.

"You are jealous of the attention your brother is focusing on another girl." Severus offered an explanation to the girl, because he had no idea how to help her stop crying. "You needn't be."

Her crying stopped, but the tears were still wet on her face. He summoned a handkerchief, green with silver stitching, and hand it to her. "Go ahead and keep that one."

She smiled slightly once her face was clean, her small pale hand clutching the green fabric. "You aren't as scary as everyone thinks you are… Professor."

Severus smirked, "Actually, I'm scarier. I just have a soft spot for my Slytherins. Especially if they are in need."

"Mum talked about you… before she took the job here." The girl spoke, in a seeming non sequitur. "She was afraid you would treat her with contempt… because of how she snubbed you. I'm glad you made up and are friends. She seems much happier now, without that weighing her down."

"I'll let you in on a secret," He spoke in a whisper, a smirk still on his pale face, "I am glad too."

She smiled mischievously. "Oh, I knew that already."

Severus raised his eyebrow.

"Sir," She added, after the fact… but no less pleased with herself.

"If you are done throwing a fit in my office, I am sure you can find your way out of the door, Miss Potter." He dismissed her and pulled a stack of ungraded essays forward. He had to complete marking them by Saturday so that he would be free this weekend to commence with Hermione's ritual to tap into the Castle's magic.

The young Slytherin stopped at the door after halfway going out of it. "Thank you, sir." She spoke quickly, before rushing away.

Severus sighed, dipping his quill in the ink, he spoke into the empty room. "Resembles her father entirely too much."

* * *

Albus Dumbledore met them both in the dungeons, where you could best access the magic that kept the wards and charms on the place continually in place. The wizened wizard was wearing robes of a shade that was hard to distinguish between blue or purple. Severus found it hard to stare at for more than a few seconds so he mostly kept his eyes on the shadows in the hallway. Hermione was standing next to him, watching in awe as the Headmasters wrinkled hands wove through the magic wards with practiced ease, the colored lights from the spells splashing her face iridescently.

"From what Severus tells me, you are quite advanced for your age in Wandless magic, Miss Granger." Dumbledore made conversation as he finished taking down the wards with a flash of light brighter than before.

A portion of the wall slid away, to reveal a small library. All the books were warded securely inside glass cases, some in the walls, and some on pedestals. The room was richly carpeted, and had a tapestry featuring the four Founders beside the then newly built Hogwarts. "Hello Godric, Salazar, Rowena, and Helga. These are my two proteges… Severus Snape and Hermione Granger."

Severus walked further into the room to see the moving tapestry more clearly. "They both seem too young to me, Albus." Salazar spoke with a slight sniff at the end, his tone unmistakably superior.

Helga smiled kindly at them both. "I'm sure Albus knows what he is doing, Salazar. You should be a little more trusting."

Rowena nodded in agreement, setting her scroll down beside her in the grass. "As the modern people say, Salazar, you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover."

Godric shrugged, falling back down in the grass with a wide, contented smile on his rugged face. "They seem alright to me. Although, the paler one seems a bit too much like you."

Severus smirked. "That's because I was sorted into his House."

Salazar narrowed his eyes. "And what of the other one, the girl, she doesn't seem like one of mine."

Hermione took no offense. "No, sir. I am in Rowena's House."

Rowena smiled slightly at that. "It's good to see one of mine down here again… it's been too long."

"So this is it, Headmaster? The source." Hermione asked reaching her hand out to feel the magic reverberating from the tapestry. "I would have expected it to be something less fragile."

"As my colleague already mentioned, appearances can be very much misleading." Slytherin informed with an unreadable expression on his woven face. "What are these two doing down here anyway, Albus? This room should be a secret except to past and current Headmasters."

"Miss Granger has the most fascinating idea." Dumbledore explained as Hermione set up what they would need for the ritual. "When this is all over she should be able to become connected to the Castle's magic, along with myself, and Severus… So that if the wards were to go down they could be raised in a matter of seconds as long as one of the three of us are on the grounds. It has many more uses, of course, but that one is the most relevant. You never know when the next Dark Wizard will take his chance at sieging Hogwarts."

Severus sat down on the rugs, so that the three of them formed a triangle with the basin Hermione had placed in the center. They all took turns cutting each palm with the dagger she had brought along. Severus worried as the dagger shook slightly while Hermione cut into her skin. He was relieved when only a small amount of blood welled up on her palm. "Now, we hold hands."

Severus felt her warm blood mixing with his, as Dumbledore's also did on his left. "Now imagine the blood flowing out of our joined hands and into the basin."

It only took a few seconds for the blood to rise off their hands and fill the small basin. "Now imagine it becoming a part of the castle, filling every corner of it, every stone, from the topmost tower, to the lowest part of the dungeon. From the center of the castle, all the way out to the edge of the Forbidden Forest."

After a few minutes, the blood rose in a fine mist and spread outwards, disappearing into the walls. It was time for the incantation they had practiced. As one they intoned,

"**Nos inquisitores sumus custodes. **

**Ex quo intellegitur, non requiro. **

**Gaudeamus caedis fuisse quod eos Dominus. **

**Ut te lapidem super vos domus. **

**Nos sunt Achior. **

**Huic ostiarius aperit, qui unus es."**

Each consecutive time they finished the incantation, the vibration from the magic could be felt more clearly. By the seventh time, all of their hair was standing on end. By the fifteenth, they were floating a foot in the air without a broom. By the twentieth they could no longer hear themselves speak over the now audible hum of magic. When they reached the twenty second time through the incantation, there was blood coming out of their ears.

Just as Severus thought they may die trying to control the power flowing through them, the humming died down, and they sunk back down to the rugs gracefully. When he looked over at Hermione, she had a peaceful look on her face. As did Albus. But Severus didn't feel anything at all.

"Someone wasn't worthy," Salazar taunted.

Then when he was about to despair, he heard a voice in his head that made his eyes close in pleasure. He couldn't understand the words but they filled him with a peace he had been lacking in many years. Severus couldn't say how long they had been like that, but it must have been hours, because he was quite cramped when he came back to himself.

"Were you ever going to tell me the truth, Severus?" Albus asked. "Your plan wasn't as necessary as you made it out to be."

Severus bit back a frustrated growl, as he stretched out his long legs slowly so he didn't have them seize up on him. "I suppose you remember everything too, Miss Granger?"

Severus saw her biting her lower lip in deep thought. "I- I think so. It's strange…"

"Albus, it was more necessary than you think… just because we didn't have to go through with it to win the war… doesn't mean that I didn't have to do it. I swore to Lily that I would protect her son… and I stand by that even now that she is alive. I saw a bleak future for him and us all if we placed all our hopes on that one boy. It would have had unknown repercussions on him if he had to shoulder it any longer. So I protected him from it by making sure he would never have to grow up being known as the Boy Who Lived." Severus defended, though he didn't see why he should bother. Sometimes it took a Slytherin's cunning to make a better world, not a Gryffindor's idealism.

Hermione looked at her watch with a strangely detached expression. "It's either two hours before we came down here… or we spent longer in that ritual than I expected."

Her stomach growled as if to answer.

Albus let the matter drop, for the moment, and walked with them to the kitchens to break their unintended fast.

Severus waved his preferred elf over, and ordered his usual. Albus was at another table that was becoming loaded down with sweets of all kinds. Hermione sat down next to him and timidly asked for something that would help her regain some energy. She got a pot of tea with honey, a platter of little sandwiches, and a bowl of diced fruit. Pineapple, orange, apple, watermelon, honeydew, and banana.

Severus had a pot of coffee, black of course, two slices of buttered toast,

and some plain porridge. The elves insisted on offering him more, and he eventually gave in and ate one slice of bacon to appease them.

They ate in relative silence, all thinking about one thing, the voice that had connected to them and shared something with them that was priceless. Acceptance.

"It's strange to think some of my students didn't exist until you changed things…" Albus finally spoke, having finished his cake. "Miss Potter for one. What do you think of her, Severus? As her Head of House, you must have a better idea of what she is like."

"Crafty, mischievous, attached to her brother… Reasonably intelligent… Better manners than either her brother or her father. But, I wouldn't trust her not to try to weasel out of following the school rules." Severus spoke between spoonfuls of porridge.

Hermione sat beside him, quietly sipping her tea. "She's bright, but jealous of any sort of competition." She added on to his assessment. "According to Draco, she has the eyes of a Seeker. He's anxious to train her to be his replacement."

"That's another thing. Miss Granger and Mister Malfoy were enemies of a sort in the other timeline… I find myself perplexed as to what you could have done to cause all these differences, Severus." Albus spoke, popping a mint into his mouth.

Severus crossed his arms and lowered his head in thought. "After I destroyed the Dark Lord… I had to hide out at the Malfoy's until most of the rogue Death Eaters had been caught or killed. Soon, I became a part of their family… I watched Draco when Lucius and Narcissa needed to go out. One such day, when Draco was around three, I think… I headed out to a park I knew of in muggle London. Miss Granger and her mum were there. I couldn't just leave… so I spoke with Mrs. Granger as Draco and Hermione played in the sandbox. They played quite nicely together and I left thinking nothing of it."

Hermione's eyebrows were scrunched together in thought. "I- I think I remember that… The blond boy who made my hair levitate…. I almost forgot. I was four, I believe."

"For a little while afterwards he kept saying Miney, Miney, Miney. Lucius and Narcissa just thought he had made up an imaginary house elf named Miney." Severus chuckled. "Eventually he forgot about you when Lucius brought a Crup home."

Hermione fake pouted. "Replaced by a puppy."

"Well, I have some revision to do before the final… So I must be off. Thank you for allowing me to test my spell, Headmaster." Hermione spoke with a touch of anxiety to her normally steady voice.

"Just a moment, Miss Granger," The Headmaster spoke with authority. "I shall need a Wizard's Oath from you that what we have learned shall not leave the three of us. Severus, if you can do the honors."

Hermione and Albus held each other's forearms as Severus wand hovered over them.

"Will you, Hermione Granger, keep secret everything you learned since meeting us in the dungeons yesterday morning?" Albus asked.

"I will." Hermione answered solemnly.

"And will you decline Veritaserum should it be decided to be administered to you?"

"I will." Hermione spoke fiercely.

"And, should it prove necessary, will you Obliviate whomever else should come to know of our secret?"

Hermione hesitated a moment before saying, "I will."

The fiery rings sunk into their skin, leaving a mark of their vow. Severus lifted his wand away from their hands and spoke. "It is done."

"Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Granger. You may go now." Albus spoke cheerily, waving her off.

She nodded unsteadily, and left Albus and himself alone in the kitchens. Severus left soon afterward, not feeling up to getting a lecture from Albus on the consequences of meddling with time. As if he wasn't already quite aware of them. He secluded himself in his office, and wouldn't see visitors all day. Not that there were any, everyone was down at the pitch for the Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff game. Severus spent the entire day plotting how he would survive the fall out when more people came to remember the other world. How long before Regulus, Lucius, or Narcissa came knocking on his door, asking him why he had altered their destiny? How much longer would he remain a free man?

Severus dropped his head on his desk, and curled his arms around his head. He was no longer a double agent, but his life was still precariously balanced. One wrong step and he would lose everything. His only consolation was that it was too late for them to do the same. So, even if he was caught, they would only be able to go back to the second he had merged the timelines. Lily would live… and Hermione would be able to remember him. What more could someone like him hope to ask for?

* * *

A/N: Imagine an eleven year old Katie McGrath (Morgana from Merlin) for Dahlia.


	7. Chapter 7

**Unwriting the Past**

**Chapter 7:**

**Nothing Exciting Ever Happens Here**

* * *

The rest of the year passed without any contact with Hermione outside of class. Severus had the sinking feeling that he had upset her because he kept the truth from her. As he watched the carriages leave, with her on them, he knew he would have to seek her out during the summer. Too much had happened to leave her to her own devices. With or without the Wizard's Oath she was a liability now.

Severus heard the Headmaster's light footsteps approach. The older wizard just stood beside him in silence. But in that silence Severus could feel the weight of his disappointment crushing him.

"She is a brilliant witch for her age, wouldn't you say?" Albus spoke, apropos of nothing.

Severus nodded, unsure of exactly where the Headmaster was headed with this line of conversation. "Her innate talent with the Dark Arts is… unprecedented."

"Indeed," Albus spoke merrily, "Outside of your own, of course. Never before had I seen a young man so adept at casting jinxes and curses as you, my boy."

Severus squinted but could no longer see the glint off the carriages. "The Marauders did a sufficient job at training me where my father could not."

The Headmaster's face was a study of regrets and sympathy. "I shouldn't have been so hasty in my judgement of you."

Severus folded his arms defensively across his chest. "But you weren't too hasty, even then I only had two things on my mind: Power, and Lily."

"And now?" The Headmaster asked, looking at him entirely too keenly.

"Now I've tasted power, and realize it's entirely too complicated to keep. As for Lily, I've made my peace now that I have had the chance. Our relationship can begin anew… without my tortured feelings for her clouding my judgement." Severus answered, compelled to be truthful to the Headmaster, if not to anyone else. "Now I just want to teach."

The Headmaster's smile was genuine. "I was worried you may decide to leave Hogwarts now that you have no obligation to stay here. But I'm glad you have begun to enjoy the work after all these years."

"It helps that I don't have the Dark Lord's spectre hanging over my shoulder anymore." Severus spoke sardonically.

He turned to walk with Albus to the Headmaster's office. It would be easier to floo to his home at Spinner's End. As they walked, the paintings watched them so they couldn't say too much.

"What do you plan to do over the summer?" The Headmaster enquired, "Mars Bar."

Severus was momentarily thrown by the non sequitur, before he remembered the statue. "The family _estate_ needs some tidying up. I haven't… not since… And well, I may need use of the house one day, no sense in letting it go to waste."

"Eileen was a fine woman, Severus. It's okay to mourn her." Albus spoke with all due care, as he settled behind his desk. The Phoenix was nowhere to be found, probably hunting in the forest.

Severus took a pinch of Floo Powder from the urn on the mantelpiece. "She wasn't supposed to die this time," he spoke in a mixture of anger and grief. "I was going to protect her from him. From herself." Severus clenched his eyes shut, anything to not see the Headmaster's careworn face looking at him like a lost puppy.

"Some things can't be changed… you couldn't have known that you would be too late." Albus spoke, attempting to give Severus comfort.

"I was too cocky," He laughed unhappily, "I guess age doesn't really bring wisdom, does it?"

The Headmaster chuckled, "You're young yet, Severus. I'm sure by the time that you are my age you will be just as infuriatingly cryptic and looked on as a fount of wisdom."

Severus snorted, the tension in his body easing slightly.

"Before you go, Severus… I have a small assignment for you." Albus mentioned casually, but Severus felt a lead weight drop around his neck just the same.

He turned back from the fireplace and looked at the older man impassively. "And what might that be?"

"Don't look so dour, Severus," The Headmaster chided, "I can trust no one else to keep an eye on Miss Granger this summer but you. How would I explain surveillance of her to anyone else?"

"You have need of your spy again… but this time you are worried about a girl not yet graduated from Hogwarts?" Severus laughed openly. "You had her take the Oath, what more could you possibly want out of her than that? She's bound to this cause now… You've sentenced her to it."

Albus began to look a little angry around the eyes as he continued to keep up the pretense of being unaffected. "If you would rather Obliviate her, Severus, you are welcome to take that path. But all due caution must be taken to ensure-"

"I'm not going to make her forget!" Severus yelled, breaking his previous look of disinterest. "Whatever… Whatever else I might have to do… She won't have to forget. I swear it. So, you get your way, Albus."

Albus eyed him with unveiled scrutiny, his blue eyes dissecting Severus motives. "That's the first time in a long time I've seen you so worked up, Severus."

"Maybe that's because this whole situation is spiraling out of control, and I'm left with the distinct impression that Miss Granger is less important than keeping the status quo intact." Severus snarled.

Albus looked at him curiously. "And she isn't?"

"Of course she isn't." Severus spoke adamantly. "Her life and mind matter more than whatever happens to me."

"And what of the world? What happens when what you accomplished becomes known? How could we hope to keep the peace when even the progression of events is fair game for war? Do you think they are all dead, Severus? No, they are merely sleeping dogs. And I'd rather let them lie, wouldn't you?" Albus brought up a very good point.

Severus cursed himself, figuratively, and pulled back from his angry staring match with the Headmaster. "She isn't the problem, Albus. The weak link is the way the spell was designed to allow for retaining of memories. I forgot to exclude retrieval in everyone else. A simple mistake. One that I can't correct now. But I can work on stopping any further time travel from working using the method I accomplished it with… But I will have to resign my post, effective immediately, if I am to have any hope at doing so before the inevitable happens. I'll also need an assistant… obviously you would be my first choice but it would be suspicious if both of us disappeared at the same time."

"You may recruit, Miss Granger, Severus. No one else can know yet." Albus spoke resignedly, "She can sit her N.E.W.T.s early. I'll make ready the preparations. Now, I suggest you get to work on making your home livable."

Severus nodded and, with practiced ease, flicked the Floo Powder into the fire and spun away, calling out, "Spinner's End."

He flicked the dust off of himself and back into the grate, but he needn't have bothered, the place was absolutely filthy. He immediately shot up a shield charm when something flew out of a decaying couch at his face. It bounced off, stunned, and Severus soon killed it with a blast of green light. The couch was next, with a controlled fiendfyre, he decimated whatever was living in the awful thing.

He went room to room like that. Due to the small size of the house, it didn't take long to finish the pest removal portion of the job. Severus was only glad that the Aurors had seen fit to cleaning up the stains in the living room where his parents had last drawn breath.

After that he spent a much longer time cleaning, even with cleaning charms it still took a week. He left the outside alone, preferring it to look as decrepit as the rest of the neighborhood. He did reinforce the structural integrity of the house, however, as he preferred not having the whole thing fall down on his head.

He got all of his furniture from his private rooms at Hogwarts, and only had to replace the muggle appliances. They worked just fine, as long as he diverted magic away from them. The whole house was a complex switchboard of magic and muggle energy. Severus could still hear that distinct electrical hum that made sleeping almost impossible. He told himself he would get used to it with time.

About halfway through summer, a knock sounded on his door. He flipped down his newspaper with agitated displeasure. He had only just sat down after working quite tirelessly in his study for most of the day on his little problem.

He opened the door with his wand drawn. Hermione Granger stood on the other side of the door with an anxious smile on her face. "It's good to see you too, sir."

"Get in," He ordered brusquely, shutting the door behind her quickly when she complied. "You have finished your N.E.W.T.s?"

He smile became even more forced. "I have, sir."

"Drop the smile, Granger. We both know you are a nervous wreck right now. And stop saying sir."

She nodded a bit too quickly, smile becoming more of a grimace. "I don't think I was ready… to take the N.E.W.T.s, I mean."

Severus raised one eyebrow while motioning her to take a seat on the loveseat. "Rubbish. You can't actually believe you received any less than all O's."

Hermione sat down, but it looked more like she was perched on the edge of her seat. "Draco said much the same thing. He was quite surprised I was offered an early apprenticeship… as was I."

Severus laughed darkly, "Draco is surprised by his own shadow. As far as the apprenticeship, I trust you realized that was a ruse."

Hermione bit her lip, a nervous tic of hers that he honestly found equal parts arousing and frustrating. "Of course I did. I just don't know what the ruse is a cover for… The Headmaster didn't see fit to inform me. Just made me sit my exams early, and sent me here mere days after that."

"Oh you know, the usual, saving the world from Dark Wizards." Severus snarked.

Hermione smirked in a way that resembled his own. "Isn't that a bit like fighting fire with fiendfyre?"

"Well, if there is anything left of the world after we fix the loophole that I exploited, I'll consider it a success." He spoke, sitting down next to her, instead of the chair he had vacated when she had knocked. She blushed when he caught her eye. "Missed me, did you?"

Her face was a mixture of denial and desire. "What would give you such a ridiculous idea?"

He brushed the hair back from around her neck, and felt her pulse jump at his touch. "Would you rather I sit somewhere else?"

His fingers spoke a different story as they caressed her gently. She moved into his touch, with her eyes closed to heighten the sensation.

"Tell me, Hermione, and I will stop." He rumbled, as he moved even closer to her. He took her hands from where they were clenched on the seat, and brought them into his own. Her eyes opened, slowly, curious. "I didn't say it before…"

She smiled, warmly, causing his heart to skip a beat. "I know."

"You deserve so much more than me," Severus began, choosing his words carefully. "If I were a selfless man… I'd make sure that you had no choice but to choose someone else. But I'm not… So I'm unbelievably happy that you…" He sighed, hating his inherent cowardice in these matters. "If you even feel half of what I do-"

His eyes widened as she stopped him from saying another awkward word with her passionate kiss. It lasted only a moment but left him speechless. "I told you, I know," Hermione spoke, her hand safe in his own. "I love you too, Severus."

It was the first time she had said his first name, and she had said she loved him in the same breath. A boyish grin filled his face.

"I like to see you smile," She spoke, tracing his lip with her thumb. "You have the most sensual lips of a man I have ever seen. No matter what expression you make… It makes me want to pin you down and kiss you senseless."

Severus smirked, enjoying her forwardness. "Do tell. How would you keep me from escaping?"

"It's in your self interest to let me do- Just. What. I. Want. With. You." She punctuated each word with wandlessly popping one of the buttons on his outer coat.

"And you were worried about your N.E.W.T.s when you have such talent." He taunted, "Well, I think a full demonstration of your wandless technique is in order."

She pulled back from him and tossed her arms in the air, her shirt seemed to fly off of her and hit him square in the chest. "How was that? Do I get an O?"

Severus nodded, eyes traveling over each inch of skin she had exposed. She had on a silver and blue bra, that he ignored for the most part as he was fascinated more by what was inside of it. "You may want to pin me down now, before I have to do the same to you."

Her arms came up and around his neck, drawing him in. "Please, don't hold back on account of me."

"I want to do this right, Hermione." Severus spoke, his breath shaky.

She kissed him gently. "Anything you do will be right… Now, where would you like to take this? I don't think the loveseat will suit our purposes."

Severus pulled her up, and lead her upstairs to his bedroom. He lit the candles inside with a flick of his wrist. He had caved and taken all the electrical lights out of the room he was sleeping in. He watched in wonder as she shimmied out of her jeans and panties.

"Don't make me strip you, Severus Snape." She spoke from his bed. It moved him to action.

He had never gotten undressed faster in his life. He even forgot about his scars because he was so focused on her teasing smile and luscious figure on his bed. Her eyes widened when she saw him bare of clothes. She reached out and shakily touched the one that was mere inches from his heart. "Who did this to you?"

He took her hand away from the old wound. "It doesn't matter, she's long dead."

"And the others?" She asked, eyes full of emotion.

"Everyone of them are dead. I'm still here." He attempted to reassure her.

"These happened to you in this timeline?" Hermione asked, fingers ghosting over where his father had gone after him with a belt.

"No," He spoke coldly, "Those were earlier, before the point I went back."

To Severus' surprise she began to kiss him on each and every one of his scars. When she got to his lower belly, her chin grazed his erection. He shuddered, but reeled himself back in. "Hermione," he hissed in pleasure.

She kissed back up to his mouth and settled herself on top of him once she reached his lips. She stroked herself against him, and his eyes rolled backwards. He almost came all over his own torso.

"Hermione," He groaned.

She was quiet above him except for little sighs. They sounded exquisite to him. Her hand gripped him, and in the next moment he slid into heaven on earth. She made a louder noise as he touched her deeply inside. She sounded like she had just figured out the answer to a question that had been plaguing her for months.

"Yes, my love." Severus encouraged, moving his hips up as she was coming down. He grabbed her hips to steady her as she moved on top of him. "That's it."

She shuddered slightly as she touched herself. Her legs shaking in anticipation of the coming climax. Severus came first, unable to hold himself back with her tightening around him. She felt like a minor earthquake as she came a little while after.

She puffed out a little breath of air as she fell over on the other side of the bed. "I'm glad I don't have to run anywhere this time."

"As am I." He whispered, with a kiss to her shoulder.

"Save the world tomorrow?" She asked, stretching out her body in satisfaction.

"Excellent plan. We can rest on it for now." He spoke, fully aware they wouldn't be getting that much rest. He curled a strand of her hair around his finger, smiling softly. She sighed contentedly, and curled herself up next to his chest.

It was silent for awhile, except for their quiet breathing. Severus closed his eyes and relaxed into her. "I regret not telling you…"

Hermione tensed in front of him. "You had to keep it a secret. I understand that. You had the best of intentions, Severus. You saved a family from being torn apart by war. So don't worry about me… I just needed some time to think things over."

Severus chuckled, burying his face in her hair. She smelled amazing, like nothing he had ever smelled before. He laid a kiss on top her head and then leaned back into the headboard, stretching his long legs out to reach the end of the bed. "I can't help but worry about you," He spoke teasingly, "I don't know if you realize this but you are a very perplexing woman. You never shy away from anything, not even me. But you have a certain distance between yourself and others. I worry that someday you will find me incredibly dull."

She turned onto her other side, now facing him, and her eyes were down turned as she traced patterns on his skin. "You shouldn't worry about that… People like us… we can always find some way to make things interesting." She blushed brightly, and he wondered just what she was thinking about.

He never got around to asking her because she occupied him for another hour or so before they finally fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning, he woke up to an empty bed and he nearly panicked. He swiftly put on a black t shirt and jeans, he had to go out today and his usual garb would look out of place, and rushed down the stairs to find her bent over, inspecting the contents of his fridge. Which wasn't exactly stocked. "Good morning." He rumbled, sneaking up behind her.

She jumped, and hit her head on the top of the fridge. "Shite!" She cursed, her hand holding the part of her head that was hit. "I need to get you a collar. With a bell on it."

He brought her close and quickly brought the swelling down for her with a simple healing spell. He stepped back with a smirk on his face, "Want to go out to eat?"

"We probably should. Your refrigerator looks like a potions cupboard more than a place for food." She teased him. "I was pondering the nutritional value of swelling solution."

Severus laughed slightly and pulled on her hand. "Come on. Let's go to a place I know of nearby."

He walked with her down the road aways until he got to a train station. He bought the fare and they rode the rails until they got to Manchester. It didn't take long, and they were out on the streets again. Hermione was taking in the sights like a proper tourist. "Never been up here before?"

She shook her head no. "Only large city I'm familiar with is London, since I live a bit outside of it."

"I know," He spoke, distracted by maneuvering through the crowds to their destination.

She stopped, and he had to pull her out of the way into a small alleyway, a cat ran off upon seeing them. "You know?"

Severus nodded. "It was necessary for me to know that. When I went back I had to check on the principle players. I couldn't leave anything to chance."

"You saw me... with my parents? You watched me?" Hermione looked a bit thrown by the knowledge of Severus' actions.

"Every year or so. I had to make sure that the wards on your house were holding up. There were rogue Death Eaters out in force… I couldn't have one of the Golden Trio dying on my watch." Severus reasoned, "We're almost there."

Hermione shook her head slowly. "Why would I still be important if I no longer had to figure out the latest threat against Harry, year after year, why me? Wouldn't I be expendable, essentially?"

Severus frowned, not wanting to admit the true reason. "I didn't want your intelligence to go to waste. Your potential to be great. Just because the Dark Lord had fallen… that doesn't mean your talents were no longer needed."

She accepted that reason, but her eyes were still looking at him with a speculative gleam. "Very well, I thank you for looking after me… No matter the reason."

They continued walking and were soon at a tea shop he liked. It was nothing like Madam Puddifoot's. It was no nonsense and had private rooms that you could talk, or conduct business in. He knew the proprietor well. A muggle woman in her late 40s that would make Minerva look like a nattering school girl.

He nodded to her, and she walked briskly over. "Severus. I see you brought someone new. Would you like your usual room?"

He smiled slightly, "That would be preferable. How's business?"

She sniffed delicately, "I can't complain."

The older woman stopped before a set of doors and opened them, gesturing for them to precede her into the room.

"This is a Japanese tea shop?" Hermione asked, unveiled interest on her face.

"Indeed," He answered, as he sat down on one of the pillows. "I'm guessing you've never been to one before?"

Hermione shook her head no, and sat down as he had, mimicking his movements.

"Thank you, Onee-san," Severus dipped his head, as she placed the menus before them. Her lip twitched slightly in an almost smile.

"You do this old lady too much honor, Severus." She spoke, inching out of the room to leave them alone to decide.

The door closed behind her with a snap. Severus didn't bother looking at the menu, since he knew what he wanted. He watched Hermione struggle to read the menu. It was in English, but much of the words would be foreign to her. Finally, she sat it down. "I'll just have what you are having. Unless, you'd like to make a suggestion?"

Severus smiled, enjoying her look of defeat a bit too much. "You would like the green tea with honey, I think. I'm also ordering breakfast for the two of us."

"Oh, that sounds good." She agreed readily.

Once they were served, Severus spoke more openly. He easily handled his chopsticks, although he remembered how awful he had been at it at first. It looked much like Hermione's effort. He couldn't help but chuckle every time something slipped from her grasp. "You'll get it, in time."

Finally, she just began wandlessly levitating her food into her mouth. "I'll learn when you aren't laughing at me every time I mess up." She spoke defiantly. "This is pretty good."

"It's the best food in town," Severus affirmed.

"How long have you known her?" Hermione spoke curiously, after taking a sip of her tea.

Severus sat back, already finished with his meal. "Ever since I was old enough to ride the train on my own. I got a bit lost one day, and she found me, and brought me here. Her mother was running the place back then. And the older woman was quite upset to see the state I was in. They have a bath house as well… so she forced me to get cleaned up, and put me in her son's hand me down yukata, Onee-sans brother. The two of them fawned over me, I was only a few months from going to Hogwarts by that point… but they seemed to think I was the cutest thing. Onee-san kept poking me in my nose. She thought it was interesting, like a hawk. She still calls me Taka-tan, occasionally."

"So, you kept in touch… all these years?" Hermione picked at her rice.

"More or less. I came here with Lucius a few times. He didn't hate it, but he also resorted to magic so that he could eat his food." Severus smirked.

Hermione sipped on her tea and silently looked at him. "I'm glad you brought me here… to see this other side of you."

Severus blushed slightly, unused to someone appreciating him. "It was my pleasure."

"I was thinking last night," Hermione began, he chuckled and she laughed with him, "I know, I know, when am I not? Right? But, I was thinking that we are coming at this as if its a problem with time travel… but it's more of a dimensional thing… anyone who can access the higher dimensions can transport themselves back to an earlier version of themselves, or even others, now that I think of it… So what we need to do is make the dimensions less permeable."

"I thought similarly… I've been working on something to that effect. I can show you once we are back." He left enough money to cover the bill, and then some, and helped Hermione get back on her feet.

"My feet are tingling." She spoke, laughing slightly. "Well, at least it's not stinging pain."

He enjoyed the midday walk with her back to his home. She didn't complain about the smell from the dirty river by his house, she simply put up an invisible air purifying spell around them. Severus appreciated her practicality, and inventiveness. Once they were inside, she dropped the spell, as he had one up continuously inside the house.

They walked up the small, cramped staircase, and went a little further down the hall to his study. Upstairs was a small bathroom, a study that was quite short on space, and his bedroom, which had barely enough room for his dresser and the double bed. He contemplated putting up an extension charm on the place, maybe when he had time sometime in the future.

He shuffled through his papers on his desk as Hermione was clearly salivating from seeing the wall to wall books. Even the door on the inside housed a shelf of books. He was quite proud of that charm, that made it so the books never pinched, as he opened the door.

"Wow, quite the set up in here, I thought it would just be in your sitting room… And after you always berated me for being an insufferable know-it-all… Come to find out that you are perhaps the worst one." She laughed quietly. Her eyes skimming the titles with interest. "Moste Potente Potions. I remember that fiasco… from the other timeline. You must have brewed the antidote."

He nodded, in acknowledgement. "I was quite over worked that year… and then the next year with brewing Wolfsbane for Lupin every month. And then the next year… let's face it, it was every year that Potter was in the school."

"Do you blame him?" Hermione asked, her hand drawn to one of the darker books on his shelf. He wasn't worried about her, so much, as he knew her capabilities.

"I wouldn't have gone back to save him from that fate, if I blamed him." Severus spoke, finally digging up his notes. "Over here a moment, if you would."

She stood quite close to him and adjusted the lamp so she could see his handwriting more clearly. "You have terrible penmanship."

He shrugged. "I am usually the only one who has to read it. Do you need me to read it to you?"

She declined, and focused quietly on reading his notes. After a few minutes she took a seat. Severus picked up his newspaper and sat in another chair in the room. It was in the corner farthest from her, but he could still kick her chair if he wanted to. The news was predictably dull, nothing that seemed like a resurgence of Death Eater activity. It didn't make him any more at ease.

"What do you think will happen, without you there to teach DADA?" She spoke, still reading.

"Likely one of the old Order members will take my place," Severus answered, flicking the newspaper into a pile of already read ones. He kept them around, just in case he sensed a pattern and needed to refer to an earlier edition. "I hear that Lupin got Nymphadora pregnant.. she might decide to teach while she is with child. It's bound to be less stressful than Auror duties."

Hermione hummed in agreement, eyes traveling quickly over his notes. "I'm happy for them… But it's strange… I only know them from the old timeline… So I can't really congratulate them. This must be how you felt for the longest time, without anyone to share the memories with…"

"I will send them a note, if you wish to pick out the paper." Severus put forward. "I know them both fairly well. Lupin being the least horrible Marauder… And I taught Nymphadora in Potions when I was still fairly new to the job. For a Hufflepuff… she was nearly always in trouble. Half the time because she just so happened to stumble into it. I advised her to join the Aurors, because she had quite the knack for finding people who were about to do something wrong, and sticking her nose in."

Hermione laughed. "Alright, it should be something with lots of color… and maybe moons… or puppies. I think Tonks would get a laugh out of that."

"Lupin would probably hate it," Severus spoke deviously, "I love it. You might just have made it as a Slytherin."

She shook her head. "I don't think so. Too many mind games… Ravenclaw is bad enough as it is. Everyone scrambling over one another to be the cleverest. To be ruler of the roost, so to speak."

She finished the notes not long after that. "I think I can work with this…"

They spent the rest of the day, and on into the night, discussing theory. Hermione was a great help on the Ancient Runes and Arithmancy end. Severus focused on the application, how to go about altering reality. He brought up the sheer amount of magic they would need to effect the entire world. It was probably too much for the three co-conspirators to handle alone. Until they worked out that small little detail… they would just be planning for naught.


End file.
